We recently connected with Finda Kpakiwa and have shared our conversation below.

Finda, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

The idea actually came to me during a time of fasting. I was experiencing a lot of gratitude and I decided to fast to be thankful for what I had at the moment. The concept for creating a fragrance called Empowered was born.

Empowered was created to bring women together from different walks of life to celebrate their achievements. You see, the one thing that bothered me about myself for years is that I am dyslexic. I didn’t learn how to read and comprehend until the age of 17, graduated high school at age 20, and got my drivers license at age 38. Before Empowered, I used to look at these numbers with shame.

But that day I realized that those were my Empowered numbers. I didn’t know anything about the fragrance industry so I started doing a lot of research. Since that day, July 14, 2014, the brand has evolved into a lifestyle.

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

My name is Finda Kpakiwa. I am your empowered guide in Business, Fitness, and Fragrance. This journey started nine years ago with the unique scent designed for women called Empowered by Finda Kpakiwa. Without any knowledge in the industry, I created a scent that nine out of ten women describe as exceptional. With my love for fitness and wellness, I realized that my brand is more than just a scent, it is a lifestyle.

The way I got into my industry was not intentional. It first started off with the product, which is the fragrance. Since then I have built it into a lifestyle brand which falls in the personal development category.

My brand focuses on a mind, body, and soul connection. From my fragrance to my speaking engagements and nutrition services.

The thing that sets me apart in my industry is that I use my personal experiences of overcoming obstacles and use them as tools to teach my followers how to win in life. From not knowing anything about the fragrance industry and creating a one of a kind scent to sharing the lessons I’ve learned from failure throughout the course of nine years of bringing my brand to fruition. All of which can be taken as business or life advice.

The thing I am most proud of is my ability to stay focused. I’ve implemented so many ideas throughout the course of bringing my brand together and so many of them have failed. I have pivoted more than a handful of times. Throughout all those failures and not quitting, I realized that I was on the course of building a personal development brand. People who are discovering it today are receiving the message very well.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Oh man, I love telling the story! It inspires and warms the hearts of so many people that hear it.

In 2006 after being single for a couple of years, I remember praying to God that the next man he sends into my life should be my best friend, business partner, husband, and father to our healthy, beautiful children.

I would say that prayer for three years every day. In 2008, I had a strong desire to relocate from my hometown of Harrisburg PA to NYC. A cousin of mine invited me to stay with him for a while in Central New Jersey, where I was just a train ride away from the city. Things didn’t quite work out. Three months later, I had to find my own place.

I wound up renting a room in Westfield, New Jersey. My first night at my new home, one of the younger nannies invited me to go to dinner with her and her boyfriend. She wanted me to meet his friend. Reluctantly, I accepted the invitation. That day I met the man have been asking God for in prayer since 2006!

We became friends for a year before we started dating. Fast forward 13 years later, he is my business partner who invested his entire 401(k) in my vision and we are proud parents to an amazing 5 1/2 year-old boy.

He’s the best business partner I could ever ask for. He knows me personally and tends to give me advice if I’m making decisions based on my emotions that would affect us down the road.

We dream together and we build together. If one of us is having a bad day, full of doubt or worry where our brand is going, the other is always there with words of wisdom to lift the other up.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I moved to New Jersey at the peak of the recession on November 16, 2008 with only $360. I didn’t have my own place. My cousin offered me his living room to call home for a while. It was a black broken leather couch. I had a job lined up, so I was a bit optimistic. However, I was fired just under three months of being employed. I had to make my money work, so I lived on skippy chunky peanut butter and old-fashioned oats for 10 months.

My goal was to be closer to New York City to be a celebrity personal trainer, or an actress. Even though the situation seemed hopeless, it never occurred to me to go back home or to give up dreaming.

Fast forward to today, those stories are key parts of my brand. I choose a lesson each week and share them with my social media community on how to keep moving, even when it seems like the situation is hopeless.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.empoweredbyfinda.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/fkempowered/
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/fkempowered/
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/fkempowered/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@empoweredbyfinda

Image Credits
Some photos by @kiwa_kreats