We recently connected with Kenya Winckler and have shared our conversation below.
Kenya, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Let’s rewind to March 2020 where I was working at 16 handles in manhattan because my born place The Bronx, NY. I got laid off from 16 handles leaving me unemployed, worrisome and inspired. I saw a black woman who owned a cosmetics business called Moon x Cosmetics and her business success of earning 1 million dollars in 8 minuets so i was astounded by how successful a business creating beneficial things like soap could be. I previously in the year of 2019 started a small art business called Merit To Women where I Illustrated cartoonish women into cute stickers, prints, patterns and jewelry. When I first started Mone and Kittles the logo was art illustrated from Merit To Women because I have this obsession with logos and having something that is appealing representing you and your brand. I received unemployment for being laid off and I though “ I have the key to freedom because I got the money to start a business “. I used $500+ dollars and purchased lye, oils, powders, soap molds and soap making supplies to get this thing crackin. The first time I made a soap that actually looked and was solid hard as normal soap It wasn’t completely saponified and I used it on my face causing my skin to get inflamed. Oucchhh. I thought because I saw someone else extremely successful at having a soap business I figured It would be easy to make soap and sell it. LOL…. NOT. I failed soon many times making soap but I kept trying until I finally had my successful batch of my French Green Clay Mint Soap. The soap making process became easier after I made a few batches more after that one and It came out successfully. The French Green Clay Soap is one of the most popular soaps with some tremendous ingredients like ; French green clay, coconut oil, purified water, extra virgin olive oil, sunflower oil, sunflower oil, green tea essential oil, mint leaves. I think that It is awesome that I took the time to learn how to make soap from scratch so when the world run out of soap me & my family won’t go unbathed hahahaha. A good long time passed since I started my business, I promoted it on Instagram, twitter and youtube. My very first sale was Nov 8th 2020 from a customer who has become a regular customer. The first review I received on Etsy was “ I highly recommend I’ve been looking for handmade natural soaps so I thought I would give this a try and I love its the only one I use and I keep coming back repurchase “. Another amazing review I received “ The charcoal soap does a good job at cleansing the skin without leaving it overly stripped of moisture. I’ve been using this soap for about ten days and it has kept any pimples from popping up. Shipping and delivery was really fast. The shop owner was so nice and was quick to answer any questions i had about her products, as well as giving me advice for my specific needs (acne scars, dull skin) “. I love creating products for people that makes them feel rejuvenated, beautiful and happy.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
My name is Kenya Winckler I am a Artisanal soap maker, artist, creator and I love to sing with hopes of hitting the music studio soon. I’ve always been interested In skincare while having an infatuation with veganism so I thought those would be a good combination. I have always wanted to start my own business and I felt soap making is a great skill to pick up and a great market for revenue. I also love creating art so I illustrated the logo and I took the time to create the order thank you cards. I create my products so people can have affordable healthy options to fulfill their skincare goals. The thing I’m most proud of Is the reviews I’ve received from customers saying my soaps are healing their skin and preventing breakouts from showing up. I did so much research on different skin types and what comedogenic rating certain oils have to know what condiments to include in my recipes. My main business goal is to make my customers happy by creating products that make their skin look and feel beautiful. Another business I have is called Plant Based Yogurt Studio’s where I create beautiful art from my heart, Check it out !
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy for growing my clientele is advertisement. Etsy has a great advertisement plan you can pay fro that allows exposure to your business and the products you create. I consider a strategic way to attract clientele is reviews, good reviews attract new customers to my business and shows the credibility of the products i create.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I built my audience on social media by creating appealing images, constantly posting and being active on my accounts. My advice for those building a social media presence Is knowing what you want to do, post consistently and staying true to who you are.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MoneAndKittles?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneandkittles/
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCLQslsyphCLGHB4Tkbhp5Ew
- Other: https://at.tumblr.com/plantbasedyogurtstudios/9xie0t05qlv6 https://plantbasedyogurtstudios.square.site/ https://monekittles.square.site/ https://linktr.ee/KenyaWinckler?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=dc73a636-3777-4337-a3b1-235deff5d3d1
Image Credits
Mone & Kittles Kenya Winckler