We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chandra Maharaj a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Chandra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the most important things we can do as business owners is ensure that our customers feel appreciated. What’s something you’ve done or seen a business owner do to help a customer feel valued?
My customers are the reason I create, and I try to make sure that my appreciation for them is always at the forefront of my brand. I am a big believer in celebration and appreciation and I try to show that in every way I can. Some of my customers have become friends, and some even family. Our transactions go further than a purchase, for some it is emotional, for some even spiritual. For a long time I operated as an online store and did not have the physical interaction with my customers, but now with the opening of my boutique I get to share experiences with them in an even more in depth way. The more love and support that is poured into me, the more I am able to pour back into them, and I find that dynamic beautiful.
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 name is Chandra Maharaj and I am the owner and designer of Chandra Maharaj Designs. I started my business in 2011 after graduating fashion design school and well the rest is history. I have birthed a brand that caters to a variety of women by creating designs that are adjustable and fits a variety of sizes. This allows women to feel beautiful and powerful at every version and stage of their lives. I am most proud that I have been able to create a brand where my supporters can literally feel the love in every design, and they carry that with them, with every purchase.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Covid was definitely an interesting time for all business owners and I am no different. The stillness allowed me the time to sit and expand. I invested in learning new crafts that were complimentary to my business and my vision for her expasion into a lifestyle brand. I learnt how to make candles, body sprays, jewelry and perfumes. This allowed me to create my Healing Tools Collection where natural fragrances and essential oils were used to create scents infused with crystals.
We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.
Yes I manufacture all of my own products. The Healing Tools collection which includes the perfumes, body sprays and candles are all hand poured in small batches by me right here in Trinidad and Tobago. My clothing line which is also designed by me, is produced by my own small manufacturing facility in Brazil where I am originally from.
The manufacturing process is an extremely challenging one. There are always so many moving parts that it is hard for one person to handle, but I have managed to create a system with the help and support of my family that works well for me. However, I do have to say that challenges are always constantly popping up, but it has become fun trying to solve them all.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chandramaharajdesigns.com
- Instagram: @chandramaharaj