A mom of two, cancer survivor, Business Management Professional, and now an entrepreneur. During the last 20+ years, Kaliada worked as a Corporate Human Resource Manager for large and global corporations, such as Lehman Brothers, FujiFilm, and BMW. In 2012 Kaliada started her own business and embarked on the entrepreneurial journey.
Each day since the 2015 launch of
From her kitchen to a bedroom in the basement
Kaliada’s hobby took off and grew to the point that she had to move her work from her kitchen to a bedroom in the basement, which she converted into a studio. Kaliada had wholesale accounts, scheduled pop up shops at boutiques, was having features on magazines, and TV, collaborations with non-for profit organizations and hospitals… all while she was still holding her part-time Human Resources job.
In early 2018 one of the largest home decor chain stores (William Sonoma) purchased some of Kaliada’s pieces to sell under their local program at one of their West Elm stores. To further her mission of empowering women Kaliada took the plunge in October 2018 and opened her flagship store in the beautiful touristic town of Warwick, NY. Kaliada offers in store a curated selection of sustainable gift items from small socially responsible women-owned businesses, as well as her jewelry collection.
In January of this year Kaliada gave her resignation letter to BMW and had ended her Human Resources career, so she could grow and focus on the business on a full-time basis!
What inspired you to start Kaliada ?
In 2009 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. After my treatment, I decided to step down from my corporate job and decided to do something I always wanted to do–start my own business. We tend to see life from a different perspective after experiencing difficult situations that mark our lives forever. I thought life was too short to not pursue what was closest to my heart’s desire.
Throughout my cancer treatment, the most difficult thing for me was that first time I had to see myself in the mirror with no hair–completely bald. I felt as if I was looking at a different person. To me, it was a moment of self rediscovering or rebirth, and the opportunity to create my own and beautiful life, each day. I remember that the words that came out of my mouth while staring at this “new person” were: “Well if I am going to fight this I might as well fight it pretty”–with a big smile on my face and wearing my favorite pieces of jewelry. I believe that when we feel beautiful, beauty is reflected
Not only does this belief inspire the mission of Kaliada jewelry, but it was truly the foundation of the company. I wanted to offer a product that would allow me to connect with women so I could share my story and my message of positivity, to bring hope and inspiration.
How did you actually start making and selling jewelry for a living?
In 2012 I finally decided to start the business by creating a website and contacting a few jewelry designers that would sell wholesale so I can resale online. It was just a hobby with the intention to connect with women and bring hope to those who needed it. But, I did not feel any special connection with the jewelry. I wanted to offer a product that I could passionately talk about and wear it proudly. I did not know how to make jewelry and I did not want to give up.
This new “hobby” helped me to keep my mind occupied and was giving me the opportunity to connect with fellow cancer warriors. In 2015, I sat down in my kitchen’s table, watched a few how to’s Youtube videos, and the first Kaliada piece was created. I outgrew the kitchen so I converted my downstair bedroom into a private studio. What started out as a hobby grew into a part-time business with wholesale accounts, magazines and TV features, collaborations with bloggers and influencers, consignments, and pop up shops. In late 2018 I opened my Flagship store, on Main St in the beautiful village of Warwick, NY.
What investment did you need to start a jewelry line?
I started the business in 2012 with $1000, which I used for inventory. I did not have a lot of overhead expenses because it was a home-based business, all I needed was inventory and a website. Eventually, as the business was growing I needed to invest in other things, like tools to make my jewelry line. Although it was a part-time business, it was self-sustained. I did not have to make any further financial investment until I opened the storefront, late last year.
Is Kaliada your full-time job?
Yes. I resigned from my part-time corporate job in January of this year, so I can finally work on my business on a full-time basis.
Tell us about your design style. What kind of person wears your jewelry?
I think that for most of us women there is enough to worry about in the course of any given day. Whether our jewelry is fitting for the occasion should not be among those concerns. I create my collection of delicate jewelry to give options for how to wear the pieces, but all with the same outcome: Women will feel effortlessly beautiful wherever the day may take them.
Each piece of jewelry is lovingly made while keeping in mind its future owner– the high-achieving woman who appreciates the versatility of a jewelry piece and loves to look and feel her best self at all times.
What fulfillment does being a business owner give you?
I have never been as happy as I am now, career-wise. Sometimes we do not take the plunge because of fear. Starting my own business has been the best decision I’ve made, as far as what to do for a living. The feeling of not having to report to someone, or not giving the power to someone else to tell me when and how I should work is so awesome. I was so unhappy being an employee because I don’t like to be told what to do, ha. As a creative person, I like to feel free and use my creativity freely in everything that I do. Being a business owner gives me the flexibility to determine how much I want to work, and how big I want to grow. It gives me the freedom to implement or change whatever feels right with my lifestyle, and it makes me feel in control of my life and the life I want to create for myself.
What sacrifices have you had to make during life as an entrepreneur?
Taking time away from my kids and family. At the beginning was really hard to handle a corporate part-time job, a part-time business, and been there for my family, all at the same time. But, some sacrifices must be made if we want to achieve what we want. I am thankful to have a supportive and understanding family. It’s very important to surround ourselves with people who support us throughout the journey, as sometimes we might feel ready to give up.
What steps do you take when you want to get through a less of a good business day?
I always try to get the positive out of a -not so good- situation. Not a good business day for me is not having a single person come into the store. There are days like that, when there is no traffic on the streets becasue either the weather does not allow it, or during the slow months like January and February. I use those days to brainstorm on how to “move the needle”. I work on my website, create newsletters, social media posts, do some brand awareness and PR, and anything else I can’t get done during the good business days (the busy times).
What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?
Trying to do or cover everything that as a business owner we think we are “supposed” to be doing, like trying to have and maintain too many social media platforms. I’ve learned that what works for a business not necessarily will work for others. As a small business is important to invest our time and resources on the things that do work for us. This is why studying our data is important as it will tell us what’s working and what’s not, as well as knowing who our customers are.
In the beginning, I spent so much money on Facebook ads with no results, because I thought I had to do Facebook ads like every other big business out there. Well, it turned out that my customer doesn’t hang out on Facebook much, but on Instagram. So I now allocate most of my resources to Instagram. Another mistake I made when I first started was trying to make jewelry pieces for every taste and style out there. By doing this I was missing out on the opportunity to build a database of loyal customers. I was having lots of sales, yes, but I had to hustle a lot because there were mostly new customers.
I was not increasing my RCR (Returning Customer Rate) because I wasn’t speaking directly to my ideal customer, or connecting with any specific target. We all like different things and have different styles, so knowing now who my ideal customer is helps me to invest my time and resources reaching out to that specific group. It helps me to create and select for the store jewelry pieces and products that they’ll always buy. It helps me connect and engage with that specific group of women who will be happy to share my story, products, and brand.
What 5 things would you advise and give our ladies who starting their own business?
The 5 things I would advise anyone who’s starting their own business are
- #1 Offer a product or service that you love and feel passionate to talk about or share. As a business owner we need to work long hours in order to grow the business and if we are not passionate about what we do, sell, or offer it could feel like a burden and jeopardize the growth of the business.
- #2 Know your target. As an entrepreneur, we can easily make the mistake of not having a clear understanding of who we want to connect with. When we try to connect with everyone we actually connect with no one. Knowing our target audience or “dream client” helps in our marketing campaigns, brand voice, where to find our customers–it really helps on everything we do business-wise.
- #3 Don’t quit your 9-5 job until you are ready with a strategy and a backup plan in place. Starting a business is a big risk, so knowing that we still have a weekly paycheck coming in to cover our personal expenses until the business takes off is the smartest thing to do. We don’t want to be pushy and become desperate to make sales so we could cover our personal expenses. This approach harms the opportunity we could have to connect with customers and build long term relationship with them.
- #4 Be ready and willing to give up the 9-5 Monday – Friday work schedule. Businesses don’t grow overnight. It takes time and a lot of hard work, so we need to be willing to put in the time and work, even if this means working long hours and weekends.
- #5 Be organized with finances. We must make sure to keep track of the money that’s coming in and our expenses–be cost conscious. Sometimes we might want to invest in things that we really don’t need or that do not generate any revenue. We must keep our costs down so we can have a greater profit margin and grow the business.
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
An amazing and inspirational article indeed..!! ?
Thank you for this.. ? great job