We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Caroline Kent a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Caroline, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
Mano Made came together naturally from my love of curating spaces consisting of special objects collected from my travels. On every trip to Oaxaca I would add more items to my collection, which would garner attention from friends and family. This jumpstarted the metamorphosis from passion to business. Mano Made perfectly blends my love of design, community, culture, slow living and indigenous empowerment. Each piece held a sacred story, and would remind me of a world so different from the one I grew up in.
In college I studied anthropology. This sprung from my curiosity of different cultures, being a multi-ethnic woman myself. I’ve always appreciated the diversity and uniqueness of cultures. Years after college I felt a tug to move to Mexico and fully integrate myself into a new environment. I wanted to connect with my ancestors and learn more about where my mother grew up. Up until 2020 I had visited Oaxaca consistently, almost yearly. But that was no match to deciding to move full time in 2020, and remain there for a year and a half. I learned a lot from living in Oaxaca and met the most incredible artisans to collaborate with.
Mano Made items are a blend of my original designs, the designs of the artisans, and pieces I’ve seen used by the indigenous people of Mexico found in the Museo Nacional de Antropología in CDMX . Overall the brand is a curated reflection of my heart, of being a half Mexican woman who grew up in California, returning to the land of my ancestors throughout my life and the influence this had.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
The purpose for this brand is to preserve indigenous methods, cherish our harmony with nature and bring beauty to the world. What makes us unique are the stories behind each item, and the people we work with. The artisan partners we have are what make this brand so special. I believe that items hold energy, and therefore it is important to adorn our bodies and home with pieces made with heart and soul. Our items are made sustainably, and the people who make them are proud of the incredible work they produce. They are created from the love of the craft.
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
Mano Made launched as I was working as an administrator at a commercial real estate company. It was my side-hustle for about a year before I quit my corporate job and focused solely on the brand. I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I knew it was a lot of work, because I grew up in a household of entrepreneur parents, but I knew that being my own boss would be worth it. I have to be working on something I am passionate about, or else I lose interest and my soul isn’t invested. I ended up quitting my job in February of 2020, which was interesting timing to say the least! I packed by bags and headed to Mexico, which would expand my brand into what it is today.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
The brand has been fully self-funded, starting from savings at my corporate job. I have continued to self-fund the brand and therefore scaling has been organic. I avoid putting too much pressure on this venture financially, which keeps the business light and creative. This is accomplished by having other streams of income within my portfolio while I am growing this business. This was important to me because I do not want to ever stress about how this business is performing. I am always learning as I go, and the important part is maintaining a joyful experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shopmanomade.com
- Instagram: @mano_made_