We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kisha Kandeh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kisha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
Oh yes, much sooner. I wish I had of tapped into my creative being years ago. I’ve always had a desire to express myself through writing and clothing in my high school years and even in my early twenties. I didn’t realize I loved it until I faced some really challenging milestones in life and discovered a direct relationship with my creator thus providing a clear understanding of what love is. Starting sooner probably would have allowed me the opportunity to create my company sooner and provide the world with a platform to express themselves through fashion, art and events. I realize that fashion is the medium but the choice is therapeutic, healing and fun!
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?
Sure! I actually am a survivor of an abusive relationship and started writing poetry as a way to express myself telling my real life stories around town. I would go anywhere I was unfamiliar with looking for an unbias outlet. So open mics became my church in a sense and I named myself Unlimited The Poet. They were very welcoming spaces and I met some incredible artists while sharing my testimonies. From there I stayed connected and started putting some expressions on t-shirts selling them every where Unlimited The Poet would perform. I learned quickly communities loved my transparency and so paid opportunities became my normal as a performing artist. I created my official company and named it The Woke Brand the top of 2017. I continued selling my custom tees and other creations on military jackets. In August of 2017, I walked away from my full time job in the Medical Records department at Barnes Jewish Hospital to pursue my designer passion. Nowadays, we create so many customs for men, women and children with special attention to patches, repurposing items and authentic military garments. I chose military jackets to design as a symbolic way to remind myself and others to always put up a good fight as life required us to prepare for the battles. We help our clients express themselves uniquely and spontaneously by providing the options and designer expertise in the store. We give them a full experience even outside of the store in our sold out fashion shows and our social media channels. Our niche is definitely the idea of creating a person’s choice of fashion on the spot and providing over 3000 options in one space with a designer and seamstress on site. I am most proud of how many communities we reach and how impactful we are consciously through are artistic mediums we use to express our creativity. We want people to know we are a brand for ALL PEOPLE and we are a black owned woman business on a mission to spread love and peace all while providing opportunities and 1 of a kind experiences! Everything is custom!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I had to unlearn that all small businesses can be ran by the sole proprietor only. I believed the business didn’t need other employees because I couldn’t afford to pay them at the time. As time went on, I quickly experienced different emotions about help from others and knew that I couldn’t juggle all of the support and responsibilities on my own. I started by testing out family and friends. Then I tried some interns and finally I sat down with a business consultant and she helped me map out the preliminary job descriptions for The Woke Brand. About 1 year later I started the hiring process and kept her close to assist me in the human resource and tax area of hiring employees.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect is always being able to connect to my creator and sharing my gifts with others even when I’m experiencing a roller coaster ride. I love the freedom I have created for myself and the ability to inspire other entrepreneurs and creatives to tap into their full potential. The possibilities of my creative being are unlimited! Within the parameters of artistic events I produce, I get to work with professionals, unexperienced young adults, a variety of artists, our youth and so many media outlets that share our stories and work. As a poet I get to share my real life stories and connect with people with similar walks of life. In the fashion industry I get to dress outside the box and create designs and watch the world love them as well!
Contact Info:
- Website: shopwokebrand.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewokebrand1/
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thewokebrand/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-woke-brand-0179085a/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Thewokebrand1
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwnuGUJGc24&list=OLAK5uy_msdeIqIIppULtolZardNYENxrk6W0057s
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-woke-brand-richmond-heights-2
- Other: tiktok- https://www.tiktok.com/@thewokebrand?lang=en
Image Credits
Royal Images Photography Church Productions Masters of Light