We recently connected with Ali Koehler and have shared our conversation below.

Ali, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I had an idea to start a children’s brand in 2021, and using a $200 savings bond from my late grandma (Helen Eugenia), I did just that. Kind of. We started out on Etsy making sensory play kits for kids. I’ve always loved kids apparel and accessories. Like, I still buy accessories meant for kids cause duh, they’re more fun. So from there I decided to make some hair clips that I would put in my daughter’s hair, but that I would also wear. I started with Peanut, Nugget, Tater Tot, Half Pint, and Pee Wee. For the shape, I wanted something unique that also felt a little vintage, and after poring over photos of vintage hair accessories and sketching a bunch of designs inspired by pennants and ribbons, I landed on our custom shape. I love vintage-inspired design, self-expression, and hair accessories, and to be able to work in a Venn-diagram of the three is just awesome.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a former professional musician – I played drums in Best Coast and Vivian Girls. From 2016-2021 I worked with illustrator, Tuesday Bassen to build a size-inclusive clothing line made in LA called Tuesday of California. I became a mom at the end of 2018. After being laid off in the pandemic, I decided to focus on my own small business. Eugenia Kids was launched in 2021 with a $200 savings bond from my late grandma – Helen Eugenia.

In one year I grew the brand to a 6 figure business. We are sold in over 200 boutiques as well as on Maisonette, in all 4 of Pink Chicken’s brick and mortar shops, in Camp stores, and in multiple locations of Sit Still kids’ hair salons. Joey King, Joanna Newsom, Abby Elliott, and Joy Cho are customers, and the list of raving fans grows everyday.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

In early 2021, my father found two savings bonds given to me by my late grandmother, Helen Eugenia Koehler, and mailed them to me to use as I wished. Gram, as we called her, loved children. She birthed three sons and took in numerous foster children with my grandfather, who was a foster child himself.

Gram and Grandpa Lou were the home base for the neighborhood. If you needed a scrape cleaned up or some lunch, they were happy to provide. Gram used to say “you can always add more water to the pot” meaning you were always welcome at her table and she would make sure there was enough to go around for whoever was there. She was hard-working, frugal, and empathetic. If she had two cents and you had none, she’d give you one or both if you were in greater need.

When my dad sent me those two old savings bonds she had bought for my first Christmas, I knew I had to either save or invest them. It’s what she would have wanted. And that’s how Eugenia kids was born.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

A fellow small business owner friend of mine suggested I listen to the Product Boss podcast when I first started out an it has been my strongest tool. I am currently on a live Zoom with them while typing. They have helped so much with mindset, financial planning, marketing, etc. They are my business bible.

Contact Info:

• Website: eugeniakids.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/eugeniakids
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eugeniakidsco/

Image Credits
Quilt photo and 3 kids photo by Yael Nov. Two blonde girl photos by Alex Steele