Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kat Kuchik. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kat, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
Taking a risk is very challenging for many and I’m not an exception. I think that I played it save for many years while pursuing my degrees in Finance & International Business from TU & Loyola University. I was working as a Sales Manager of an optical for 15 years – it was my first job and I loved it! After the graduation, when the time cane to pursue a career in my fields of study – I realized something important: I was actually already using most of the skills that I have acquired because of the many different backgrounds of clients and communication and selling and delivering a product and service of superior quality while helping people see the world (literally) while also being fashionable! I made my decision to stay and after some time – I felt like I needed a change. I took few years off from a full time job, while trying my skills in different things like home remodeling & redecorating, managing investment properties and organizing events. I involved myself in dealing with so many projects at the same time – that I burnt out. I felt like I needed to focus on something that really would bring me joy. Here comes my childhood catching up to me: I have been around the industry all my life- fashion, accessories, styles, trends I realized – that’s MY World! That’s how KK Accessories LLC came to life! I took a risk with investing into my own ideas, strengths and abilities to build a very unique business. I believed that my product was different enough to stand out and be successful… and then COVID happened. There’s no need to discuss all of the things going through my mind at that time, but I held on. I took that time to create connections with people, design multiple collections and gather many ideas together. Slowly after the world opened up, my products became relevant again – and I was ready! With hand made products – there’s really no limit to the imagination! I now have multiple artists who assist me in my projects – and we keep growing! So TAKING the risk to believe in my own skills and reflecting on what I know – was my biggest challenge and I’m glad I did it.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My business is to design & create handmade brooches that can add a special detail to any outfit, to show the wearer’s individuality & personality through their choice of accessories. My road towards this particular venture was paved by my mother- the original fashionista in the family! Since I can remember, my mom was always working by creating clothes for many different people, for herself & of course for me. We had fabrics, scraps of lace, ribbons & my favorite entertainment was to sit and dig through a large box of buttons! Mom is a professional Dressmaker with Two Masters Degrees in Apparel Design and has always been a passionate supporter of all things fashion!
I believe that it is her talent and love towards the industry that led me to become this passionate about accessories! My fashion tastes & style are my own, I was never scared to be different and combine unlike things together – we created our own fashion for us in a way. Even in my job as a sales person of eyewear, I always felt like I knew what the next big “style” thing would be – humbly I often felt like a “trend-setter” :) Many times I wake up with an idea of what I would like to have, buy or see and then boom- it’s trending on socials, it’s on shelves in my favorite stores & is really picking up pace everywhere! Now, let’s circle back to the Brooches – the item of jewelry that has been around for centuries, worn by Kings & Queens as a sign of wealth, recognition & let’s face it – a fashion statement! In the fashion industry there is a saying: “all the new stuff is the well forgotten old stuff” – there you have it! The actual brooches never really went away, those that have worn them for years – were still enjoying their family heirlooms, however, the new generation found the idea of brooches as “old-fashioned” – I had to change that, so that’s how all of these ideas came into my mind and my company was born! I felt like I found a niche market and I believe that my products bring such a unique feeling to each one of my customers for several reasons: each brooch is hand made (whoop whoop) making it super unique which leads to each designs showing individuality of the wearer.
My current challenge is to show everyone that brooches can really “make an outfit”and are so fun to wear! Whatever statement you would like to make – I got you with a great design!
How did you build your audience on social media?
I didn’t know much about creating a Business Instagram page- so it was a process on the go! I did read and watch a bunch of tutorials on the techniques recommended to create a post, story, reel and etc- but with technology changing literally daily- it was an absolute learning curve back in 2018 and it still is! However, the most important rule that I told myself is to NOT give up! I had to play with lights, camera, setting, backdrop and things like that to get a good pic (And honestly, I feel like I’m still doing that – even after 5 years of practice!) I am also a perfectionist: so that took me some time to figure out- I absolutely HAD to be happy with the pictures before I could actually post! My advice would be this: love what you do, ask for advice in things you don’t know and stay consistent! There is no magic trick for videos going viral or getting tons of likes – I learned that from attending VidCon in Baltimore last year. One just has to try and be observant and relevant and try and learn know the audience! Creativity shows through all kinds of lenses in my opinion. Big one is never to feel like a failure: if the post didn’t get views or likes – that’s OK!!! There are tons of content out there now – stay true to yourself, deliver beautiful quality products and you will be rewarded! As far as getting an audience: I relied on my friends to spread the word, I posted in local groups and asked kindly to be shared! I can honestly say – that quite a few of my customers who I met through Instagram became my friends! (And we never met in person)! I’m sure these types of stories happen ALL the time in small business settings. So to sum this up: kindness, responsiveness and respect is what builds trust and then people will tell others about you!
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
The most important aspect of doing any business is communicating with your customers – in my opinion. To answer your question: I used all the resources that were available to me at the time, but I do wish I would have known more about the social media technologies. Our world is so majorly interconnected – at times it’s hard to keep up with everything. AI is now taking over the marketing/advertising and has become a major player in many industries and personal lives. To look into the future, my aspiration is to advance my knowledge of various aspects around AI. I would like to use it to help me grow my social media presence to show how much joy my products bring to those who love fashion. We are taught in schools and colleges to stand out, be ourselves and what better way to do that (besides smarts & skills), but with a one of a kind & beautifully hand made brooch!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kkfashionaccessories.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kkfashionaccessories?igsh=MXJtNzhxdzFhamVveg==
