Podcast Summary
Appreciation fuels growth and success: Fisayo's journey from auditor to fashion entrepreneur highlights the importance of appreciating one's passions and the power of determination to build a successful business despite challenges.
Appreciation, whether it's for oneself or for others, holds immense value. Fisayo Longue, the founder and CEO of Kai Collective, shared her journey of turning her passion for fashion into a successful business. She started as an auditor at KPMG but felt unfulfilled and eventually left to focus on Kai full-time. The Gaia print, Kai's signature design, went viral and brought significant growth to the company. However, the entrepreneurial journey wasn't without challenges. Fisayo took a break from business due to mental health struggles but returned with renewed energy and inspiration. The power of appreciation was evident in her determination to build her brand and create clothing that makes women feel confident. Despite the daily pressures and strains of entrepreneurship, Fisayo finds it exhilarating and worthwhile. The story of Fisayo and Kai Collective serves as a reminder that appreciation, whether for oneself or for a business, is a powerful catalyst for growth and success.
The evolving definition of success: Success means independence and creativity for the speaker, shaped by personal desires and societal expectations. Imposter syndrome and external validation have also played a role in her understanding of success.
The speaker's definition of success has evolved throughout her life, shaped by both her personal desires and societal expectations. Growing up, she felt pressure to follow a traditional path towards success, but her experiences at KPMG and later starting her own fashion brand, CHI, led her to value independence and creativity. Her mother's work ethic instilled in her a strong sense of discipline, but the speaker struggled with imposter syndrome and felt unqualified to be considered successful until she received external validation through achievements like being listed in Forbes 30 Under 30. Despite this, she continues to grapple with imposter syndrome and is learning to embrace her creativity and unique talents. Ultimately, the speaker's journey highlights the importance of staying true to oneself and the role that external validation can play in building confidence and self-worth.
Overcoming Self-Doubt in Entrepreneurship: Understand the root cause of self-doubt, seek support, and stay true to your passions and goals.
Imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and the need for validation are common experiences, especially for women and minorities in the workplace. Instead of focusing on labels, it's essential to understand the root cause – whether it's a skill that needs improvement or an unfounded feeling of inadequacy. The speaker shares her personal journey of starting her fashion brand, CHI, and how she overcame self-doubt by recognizing that everyone is learning and figuring things out as they go. She also emphasizes the importance of seeking out business coaching and building a team to increase confidence and grow the business. Additionally, she shares the importance of finding inspiration through tactile experiences, such as fabric shopping, and turning entrepreneurial ventures into reality. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of self-reflection, seeking support, and staying true to one's passions and goals.
From Fashion Blogging to Entrepreneurship: A Mother's Support: Transitioning from a traditional career to entrepreneurship in the creative industry requires a clear vision, perseverance, and the support of loved ones. Small sales can be a valuable starting point.
Starting a business, especially in the creative industry, requires a clear vision and the support of those around you. The speaker shares her experience of transitioning from a traditional career path to pursuing fashion blogging and eventually launching her own brand, Ky. She recounts how her mother, initially skeptical, came to understand and support her entrepreneurial endeavors through exposure to the fashion blogging community and witnessing the speaker's dedication and vision. The speaker also highlights the importance of having realistic expectations and understanding the conversion rates when monetizing a social media following. She sold her first product, an ebook, in 2015, before she had a significant following, demonstrating that even small sales can be a valuable starting point. The speaker's story underscores the importance of perseverance, clear vision, and the support of loved ones in the face of challenges and unrealistic expectations.
Starting a Business: More Than Just a Good Idea: Understanding the market, defining unique value proposition, and preparing for mental health challenges are crucial for starting a successful business. Self-awareness and industry trends also play a significant role.
Starting a business requires more than just a good idea or confidence. It's important to understand the market, define your unique value proposition, and be mentally prepared for challenges, including failure and mental health issues. The speaker, Kai, shared her experience of starting her clothing brand and the struggles she faced during the early years. She was not prepared for the mental health challenges that came with failure and lack of immediate success. It was only when she reevaluated her business and defined her unique selling proposition that her brand started to take off. Additionally, the speaker mentioned how her bold prints contributed to a shift in the fashion industry towards brighter colors, which further boosted her brand's success. Overall, starting a business requires resilience, self-awareness, and a clear understanding of the market and industry trends.
Lessons from a dress designer's journey to build a community: Asking for feedback and incorporating it into your business can lead to significant growth and a more authentic connection with consumers.
Building a successful brand involves creating a strong community by being open and vulnerable with your audience. This was a lesson learned by Kai, a dress designer, during her first year of business in 2019. She initially struggled with the difference between having an audience as an influencer and building a community. She realized that by asking for feedback and incorporating it into her business, she was able to create a more functional website, improve her products, and ultimately grow her brand. This approach led to a significant increase in revenue, with a 535% growth between 2019 and 2020. The importance of community and customer feedback cannot be overstated for entrepreneurs and brand builders. It allows for continuous improvement and a more authentic connection with consumers.
Timing and patience lead to success: Waiting to launch a product or business during the right time and being patient can lead to long-term success. Utilizing all resources, including hidden talent, can help grow the business.
Waiting for the right time to launch a product or business can lead to great success, even if it means missing out on immediate demand. Sandra, the entrepreneur in this discussion, held off on launching her popular dress during the pandemic out of respect for those suffering. However, the high demand for the dress during Mother's Day season proved that waiting was the right decision. Additionally, utilizing platforms like LinkedIn to find professionals who might not be actively looking for a job can lead to finding top talent. Sandra, who was one of these hidden gems, helped grow the business beyond just the successful dress launch. The key takeaway is that patience, strategic planning, and utilizing all resources can lead to long-term success.
Keep a brand fresh through innovation and evolution: Innovate to keep a brand fresh, avoid relying on one hit wonder products, balance short-term gains with long-term brand development, and reward loyal customers with limited edition releases.
Innovation and creativity are key to keeping a brand fresh and successful in the long term. It's important not to get stuck on one hit wonder products and instead, continue to evolve and explore new silhouettes, prints, and ideas. Accepting the value of a successful product and using it as a foundation for future growth, rather than a source of instant gratification, is crucial. Brands that fail to evolve and adapt risk losing customer interest and loyalty. Limited edition or time-limited releases can be effective strategies to create hype and reward loyal customers. Ultimately, the ability to balance short-term gains with long-term brand development is essential for business success.
The challenge of replication in fashion: Despite replication being a common issue in fashion, focusing on creating new moments and beauty is essential for innovation.
Creativity and innovation in the fashion industry often come with the challenge of replication. Kai, the creator of Gaia, has experienced this firsthand, with fast fashion brands replicating their designs before they've even been launched. This mental and emotional burden can be difficult to deal with, especially when recognition and credit are not given to the original creators. However, Kai has chosen to shift her mindset and focus on creating new moments and beauty, accepting that replication is a part of the industry. The industry itself is built on trends and past inspirations, and it's important to remember that even our own creations may be subconsciously inspired by past trends. It's a cycle that the fashion industry is known for, and it's essential to spend our energy on creating new and innovative pieces rather than getting bogged down by the replication. Ultimately, it's a testament to Kai's maturity and genius that she continues to push boundaries and create timeless pieces despite the challenges of replication.
Kai Milla, a trendsetter inspiring cultural shifts in fashion: Founder Kai Milla's creativity and unique community built around CHI overturned WGSN's trend-setting function, validated by a cult following, but taking a break for personal struggles led to refocus and inspiration
Kai Milla, the founder of CHI, is a trendsetter in the fashion industry, able to overturn the entire trend-setting function of WGSN and inspire a cultural shift. This is a testament to her creativity and the unique community she has built around her brand. Despite not seeking validation from the industry, the validation she receives from her cult following is more rewarding to her. Kai took a break from business due to personal struggles, unable to be the leader she wanted to be. This break allowed her to seek inspiration and refocus, demonstrating the importance of prioritizing mental health and self-care in entrepreneurship.
Taking a break for self-assessment: Despite fear, taking a break for self-assessment can lead to valuable insights and improvements for a business
Taking a break from work, even when it's scary and uncertain, can be a brave and smart decision. The interviewee shares her experience of feeling burnt out while building her business, Kite, during her degree. She felt that the quality of customer interactions and the authenticity of the company were dropping, and she couldn't continue in that way. Although she was scared about the potential consequences, she decided to take a break to reassess and make necessary changes. This included hiring a quality control team, addressing issues with manufacturers, and improving the website. The break gave them the opportunity to be honest with themselves and identify what wasn't working, leading to a better future for the brand. The world glorifies constant work and hustle, but taking a step back can lead to valuable insights and improvements.
Understanding what you don't want is crucial: Stay true to your vision, be adaptable, and remember there's more to life than specific goals.
Having a clear understanding of what you don't want can be just as important as knowing what you do want. In the discussion, the speaker shared how she took a break from her company, Kyte, and had peace of mind knowing that she wasn't in a position to run it optimally. She also shared her goals for the company, which include US expansion, but she's still figuring out the long-term vision. The speaker also reflected on her past and shared advice for someone who may be struggling after missing university grades. She encouraged them to remember that there's so much more to life than what they've imagined and that it's important to keep an open mind and be adaptable as plans change. Overall, the discussion highlights the importance of staying true to your vision and not getting too fixated on specific goals, while also being open to new opportunities and experiences.
Focus on creating and dreaming, not worrying: Trust the journey, put efforts into creating and dreaming, and let go of worries for a fulfilling life
Worrying doesn't help and focusing on creating and dreaming leads to a more fulfilling life. The speaker shared her personal experience of constantly worrying and chasing things that weren't meant for her, but every time, things worked out better than she expected. She encourages everyone to trust the journey and put their efforts into creating and dreaming, rather than getting bogged down by worries and sadness. The beauty of life comes from our ideas and concepts, and sometimes, persistently pursuing something that isn't for us can lead to a very different life. So, instead of worrying and chasing after things that may not be meant for us, we should focus on creating, dreaming, and trusting that life will work out better than we ever imagined.
