Meet the Vendor: Kantha Bae Q + A
We are so excited to share with you Kantha Bae. This will be the first time they will be joining us and we are SUPER excited that they chose to be a vendor with us at GypsyMoon April 29 & 30! We just know you will love them and their products just as much as we do!
Welcome to the GypsyMoon Chronicles! We are so excited to share with you Kantha Bae. This will be the first time they will be joining us and we are SUPER excited that they chose to be a vendor with us at GypsyMoon April 29 & 30! We just know you will love them and their products just as much as we do!
Grab your tickets to GypsyMoon Marketplace so you can shop with Kantha Bae April 29 & 30!
How would you describe your business to someone you've never met? What products/services do you provide? Where and how can someone shop with you?
In our shop you'll find handmade pieces for the bohemian soul. Pieces that are unique, up-cycled and one-of-a-kind. Pieces that shift and change with you, carry story and help you feel free and beautiful in your wardrobe again! Most items you find in our shop will be one size that we recommend for a myriad of beautiful shapes + sizes. Majority being recommended from a size 00/0-22/24 and some a size 26+. It truly is like the Sisterhood of the Traveling pants and we think its magical for all sizes to feel beautiful and not feel segregated or measure their value by the size tag on their clothes!
Our pieces are made majority in partnership with villages in India + Bangladesh. In India these pieces have changed the story of an entire village + beyond who can now earn a fair wage local to their homes/families as well as have any needs met and a safe work environment. In Bangladesh these pieces bring hope to those who have been rescued from high risk trafficking environments and given a hope through a refuge and work for both them and their families.
We also have some pieces that are made from all natural processes/dyes right here in the U.S such as our Dream Line. These are made with partners in California who pay their employees a fair wage and use top of the line materials and processes that keep both the customer and planet in mind!
You can find a range of designs in our shop from pullovers to kimonos to jumpsuits! We truly believe there is a magical piece meant for everyone!
You can shop with us at www.kanthabae.com or locally in Nashville, TN at 2020B Lindell Avenue in the Wedge Building! If you want to stop by locally shoot us a message as our hours currently fluctuate to accommodate our small business.
If you want to join deeper in our online community here is a link to our Bestie group
When and how did your business first begin?
Tell us your story!
It all started with a Head Wrap... and a baby carrier! Our founder Krista, fell in love with vintage sari fabric and how strong the Kantha embroidery on it made the material. She decided it would be perfect to fashion into a unique baby wrap for her littles. Not long after she had friends and family encouraging her to offer these baby carriers and Head Wraps for purchase. This later led to our very first partnership with Basha Boutique.
Krista has always had a heart to keep seeing people at the center of whatever she puts her hands to, so being able to partner with both Basha, India and beyond to make a tangible difference in the lives of others has been so important to her. Seeing and loving people is what began and what will always be the heart beat of Kantha Bae!
What is your favorite thing about what you do?
I think I speak for the entire KB team when I say definitely the community aspect of Kantha Bae. From the community cultivated over seas with our partners to our small internet community Kantha Bae Besties community has been so important to each of us. People are the heart beat behind what we do and therefore seeing people feel seen and loved in each of those communities is so rewarding and such a full circle moment!
If you could go back in time to the beginning of your journey, what advice would you give yourself?
To remember to just keep walking with hands open. That's been the recurring theme in Kantha Bae’s story and every time we’ve leaned back into that it's proven true. As long as we keep ourselves humble, walking with open hands and a heart to love others things will fall into place, we don't have to force them into place.
Your style is SO cool! How do you continue generate new ideas!
Thank you so much!! That means a lot to all of us here!
We draw a lot of inspiration from our own experiences with clothing. We have so many times snagged a shirt or dress we thought was going to be love and would think if it just hung off the shoulder a bit more or was a little longer or larger. Usually we come up with ideas from seeing holes in the fashion world that we would like to buy but that we just can't seem to find exactly what we're looking for anywhere out there yet… so we just make it for ourselves!
We also have quite a few designs that our partners in India have come up with themselves that have turned out beautiful! They have such amazing talents!
What advice would you give to someone who is wanting to start their own business?
Remember your why it will be your anchor throughout all the ups and downs. Our why here at Kantha Bae, seeing and loving people, has been an anchor for the whole team no matter the kind of day we're experiencing so I can't stress how valuable that is!
What is something that keeps you inspired & motivated with your business?
Again back to people! Remembering the families in India and Bangladesh that are positively affected by this shop as well as the families here in the U.S that are. Whether it be through fair wages, having a safe community to land in or simply feeling beautiful in their clothes again. That is so special and a huge motivator for all of us!
What are your hopes and dreams for your business in the future?
That we can continue to grow, not for wealth, but so we can see, love and touch as many people as possible... and hopefully even make a wave to change how overall fashion operates. Maybe one day seeing people and sustainability could be at the center of the whole fashion industry and we could be a small part in that story changing for the good!
You seem to be very passionate about partnering with organizations to help make an impact on women's lives, which is incredible. Can you expand more on this and why it's so important to you and your business ?
Thank you for this question, again it means the world to us because this is the whole heart of our brand. We truly believe in women supporting women here and that community is everything. If everyone comes together to bring a gift to the table we can all make such a bigger difference! There is power and magic in community and coming together for the purpose of spreading love and we all love that we get the opportunity to do that daily here at Kantha Bae!
You have a great social media following, what are some tips and tricks you would give to help a small business owner just starting out?
I would say the best advice I ever received about social media was "How do you make friends? You go be a friend." And that's what social media, even as a business, is all about. Make friends, build community, keep seeing people at the center. Ensure majority of your social media time is cultivating relationships and seeing people, it's not all just about curating content or paying attention to analytics!
Thanks for giving us an opportunity to share our hearts here! So grateful for all of you at Gypsy Moon Marketplace and your community! Sending love to all of you!
Meet the Vendor: SP & Company
I am so excited to have you meet Amy Grace! She has been one of my favorite people to follow on social media over the years. Her style is colorful, bright, and when I see her posts- I just think of pure happiness! If you don’t follow her, you are definitely missing out!
You can shop her website at www.thesandypearls.com, shop her looks on https://www.liketoknow.it/styledamygrace or visit her Instagram and Facebook pages.
Comment below and show her some love!
Tell us a little about yourself…
I’m Amy Grace, the owner, creator & designer of The Sandy Pearls! We are an online lifestyle, accessories brand. Our mission is to provide on-trend & curated accessories, that are sure to upgrade any outfit.
We strive to make women feel pretty, put together, and confident, one accessory at a time! You can shop all our accessories at: www.thesandypearls.com
When and how did your business begin?
Tell us your story!
Created in 2014, I had no idea my passion & hobby would turn into a business! After sharing jewelry on social media, I started receiving orders for my jewelry I was sharing!!
Although after sharing my jewelry, I soon realized women had an even bigger need!! They wanted and needed to know how to style the outfit with the accessories!! Which is a WHOLE other aspect to accessories! This can be the true reason why women don’t show up for themselves. They toss on an outfit with no purpose, feeling less confident, and not as pretty!
Realizing this, one day it clicked for me that THIS would be my mission! To help encourage women one accessory and outfit at a time!
What’s your favorite thing about what you do?
My favorite thing about what I do is encouraging women to be the best version they are, one accessory at a time! I see them smile, feel pretty, and feel confident when they wear my creations! That itself-keeps me creating!
If you could turn and talk to yourself when you first started your business, what would you tell yourself?
Oh man!!! I'd tell myself, not to wait until I had it all figured out! Not to strive for perfection but to enjoy the imperfections! And just GO FOR IT! The Lord will figure out the rest!!
You have a great online presence! Any advice for someone who is planning to sell their products online? Any social media strategy tips?
Wow!!! Thank you!! My advice for anyone wanting to sell online, is to create a website and get on social media! And again, touching back on not waiting until you have it all figured out! Toss your products on the site, and roll with it! Figure it out as you go!
When it comes to social media tips, BE YOURSELF! Allow your audience to "like, know and trust" you! Create a community which allows them to feel a part of!! Those will soon become your lifetime customers!!
Time management is hard. How do you cope with having to do "all the things" like work, family, friendships, & personal time?
SO hard it is, balancing all the things!!! And to be honest, there isn't always balance! Being an entrepreneur who works from home, you must create boundaries and balance!! Owning your own business is a 24/7 gig, but you MUST know when to turn the hustle off! It's a lot of sacrifice and late nights but creating the boundaries and balance allow you to take control of time!!
The accessories you sell are ADORABLE! How have you learned to best manage your inventory? Do you have a process that you've developed in order to get orders out in a timely manner?
Aww thank you so much! That's such a compliment!!!
When it comes to inventory, I am purchasing 1 month in advance! I like to work 2-3 weeks ahead of the launch date to ensure I have all items in stock for the launch date!
To ensure orders get out in a timely manner, I work them in batches!! Due to Covid, I have decreased my staffing down to just me!!! So I try to work as quickly as possible with not having all hands on deck!
But communicating order turn around on your website is key for the customer!!
Do you ever experience burnout? What makes you feel inspired & revived?
Oh, of course!!!!! I experience burn out a lot! All creatives do in some way!! However, you MUST recognize you need the break! However, a good weekend unplugged from my phone and creating to be with my family does my soul some good! There also has to be some kind of chips & salsa involved with this weekend!!! ;)
Looking back when you first started, what are some hard lessons you've learned? Any funny stories?
Ahhhhh!!! FLASH CARDS! I used to take orders through emails and FB messages!! I lost track of who was who, and what they ordered, it was a mess!! That's why I say just get the website! Don't wait for perfection! A website will keep it all nice and pretty for you!!
Ps. I love and highly recommend Shopify! So easy to jump in and use!!
What are your hopes and dreams for your business in the future?
I have so many but my biggest hope and dream for The Sandy Pearls is to reach more women, while keeping my eyes on Christ! I’ve been shown this is my purpose and I will continue to use my platform to encourage and be a light! Again, the Lord will figure out and handle the rest!!!!
Photos by Julie Hall Photography
Written by Whitnee Mosley