We recently connected with India Kior and have shared our conversation below.

India , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Yes! I am happier as a business owner for a fact! I actually was very curious about how it would be to work a job, so I went and applied to multiple jobs hoping for an opportunity. Sometimes I’ll get so locked in with my work that I wouldn’t realize that i’ve been cooped up in the house for 3 consecutive days with no sunlight. I thought it would be better for my mental health if I got a job and would be able to have a reason to leave the house everyday being that I run an online based business . I also thought i’ll be able to find balance in my daily routine If I worked a job and ran a business at the same time. Well, I thought wrong!

I recently just got my first job at 19 after being denied at multiple places and that job humbled me to the fullest! I only lasted a week before I walked off the job, I returned and then quit again a week later. I worked Monday-Friday from 9-6, as a daycare teacher assistant where I nurtured to babies from 3-9 months. I was blessed to have an opportunity at this position because I always wanted to be a Neonatal nurse growing up. Experiencing the babies made me realize that I wouldn’t really enjoy nursing as much as I thought I would which allowed me to save a lot of time and money going to nursing school. All in all, I did grow attached to the babies and would definitely go back if the job offered a part-time position.

I was very thankful for the opportunity but not being able to have a flexible schedule which i’m used to having since I graduated high school, made me feel unbalanced and worn out. I would get off my 10 hour shift so exhausted that i’ll just come home, shower and go straight to bed. To be completely honest, I became so backed up on orders right after I launched my big skincare rebrand that I instantly went into depression and I had to leave the job in order to catch up on orders. Not only that, the amount I was getting paid was not worth losing time from my business but it was definitely worth the humbling experience.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Hello, I’m India and I am a 19 year-old entrepreneur! I own a skincare line known as “IndiaKBeauty”, a clothing line (HeistKollection) and a luxury item business (PoshKior) selling high quality replicas. I also now offer business coaching calls at IndiaKExperience. On the side, I help my mom run her two businesses (Snapdat360) a 360 Photo Booth and (Iconiceventsbyher) where we provide luxury popup picnics.

I quickly jumped into the world of business at the age of 14 selling just about any and everything. I sold foot wear, 25mm mink lashes, hair, customized jewelry, vendors, clothing and designer items. I even provided services such as wig installs, makeup, lash applications and business consultations to aspiring entrepreneurs. Being multi-talented, I was able to dip my hands in almost everything. Eventually I brought a focus to my skincare line and it took off when I first launched in October, 2019. IndiaKBeauty is my baby and is currently the main business I pour all my time and focus into.

I founded IndiaKBeauty in 2019 out of necessity. After spending hundreds on skincare products that never suited my sensitive skin type, I made it my mission to create products that are organic and sensitive skin friendly. IndiaKBeauty offers organic skincare made for ALL, for all skin types and for both men and women! Our products are hand made, cruelty-free, paraben and sulfate-free as well as eco-friendly. Our moto is “Love The Skin You’re In” and my goal is to help everyone achieve the skin they always desired. My heart feels so warm every time I open messages from customers expressing their gratitude for our products with their before and after picture attached.

We recently had a huge rebrand relaunch last month, expanding into body care products such as: shower gels, body butters, body oils, foaming body scrubs, face masks and more skin loving products. Our top sellers are: Turmerics Oats & Honey bar specifically made for sensitive skin (no harsh chemicals or fragrances added) and our Dare2Glow Hydrating Oil. This powerful duo has helped many people across the world with acne, hyperpigmentation, eczema and psoriasis. We also have our Turmeric & Citrus bar as well as our Dare2Grow Hair Growth Oil on the list of our best sellers! Dare2Grow has helped MANY who suffered from hair loss, breakage, dry scalp & dandruff grow thicker, healthier hair. My customers call it “crack”, every time we restock, we sell out every time!

Overall our products has made our customer’s lives better and improved their self-esteem and because of that I am proud. I am also proud for becoming a 6-figure business in 2021 while running this business alone at 18 years-old! It wasn’t easy and I went through many hardships and I’m still learning from my mistakes but it is all worth it! I want it to be known that I only offer the best quality products and you’ll never have to second guess if my products are good for the skin or not!

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

I’m about to give it to you raw and uncut. Recently, I experienced a near death moment running IndiaKBeauty before my huge rebrand relaunch. I was supporting my business financially with my own money instead of using my business credit. I was purchasing inventory, packaging, labels, promotion, machinery etc. with my own money and eventually, I hit rock bottom. I am actually embracing this big mistake I made in business because it is all a learning process & I am happy I made the mistakes I did now and not later. I love the fact that I am experiencing this because I know exactly how to move smarter in the future and not only that, but this experience was very humbling. If I didn’t think as logically as I did and keep going despite my mistakes, I could’ve lost it all just like that in a snap of a finger. I cannot lie, this huge bump in the road took a toll on my mental health but I had to realize that I cannot let business failures affect my happiness and that there is way more to life! I am very blessed to be able to have such a strong and wise mindset and to be able to hold this business up, including my other my businesses by myself at 19.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Providing great quality products and great customer service while staying consistent helped me build my reputation within my market. I focused on the important things such as making sure my customers are happy and satisfied with their purchase and my customers kept coming back and with a friend every time, which is truly a blessing!

Showing love to others in my market also helped me build a reputation. Supporting others in your market such as sharing knowledge, sharing their business page, recommending them to others etc. does not take away from your business and that is what many fail to realize. What is for YOU is for YOU and nobody can get in the way of that, so show some love! You’ll be surprised at what you can learn from others in your market just by looking at them as neighbors and not competition.

Contact Info:

• Website: IndiaKBeauty.Com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/indiakior?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/IndiaKior
• Other: https://linktr.ee/IndiaKior

Image Credits
@Brandingwithmiah