We were lucky to catch up with Lana Stewart recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

I started out with a website only and no physical location. When I added my business to google, I noticed that people were asking for directions. I thought to myself, shoot, I need to get a shop. All the retail locations near me (in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) were way to expensive to lease. Luckily, I found a small outdoor marketplace with a reasonable rent amount that I could afford to get started. I sold my bikinis there and started my own brand while at that location. I was there for 1 year. One day, I received an email about a retail shop in town that was for lease. I blew it off because I thought I was not ready. The leasing agent was very persistent and really wanted Kona Kinis at his location as it was a perfect fit for the mix of tenants there. This location is right across the street from the Kona Pier and a perfect place for a swimwsuit shop. I had to do some hard thinking and decided to meet with the leasing agent and check out the space. I really liked the space but was on the fence about being able to “make it” at this location due to the higher cost of rent. I decided to take a chance and go for it. I am so happy that I made that decision. Kona Kinis has been at this new location now for 1 year and our sales have tripled! Since then we have also come out with 2 more custom collections featuring our sustainable and eco friendly bikinis!

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

I was a stay at home mom for 15 years before I started my business. One day on Instagram a swimwear company sent me a message about joining them as an ambassador/influencer. I of course signed up and posted a few pictures. Then I thought to myself, I wonder if I can start an online business selling swimwear. My kids were in school and I had all day everyday to pass time. I thought this was a great idea. So, I started up my website. It was successful but I knew that I needed a physical location to continue growing my business. Once I got into my location selling a lot of different brands, I noticed people were interested in where the suits were made, China, Hawaii? They were also interested in the types of fabrics being used. Living in Hawaii, people tend to look for products that are eco friendly. I knew that we HAD to be able to provide this. None of our local shops were carrying these types of product. I started to look for a manufacturer that could provide this. I tried a couple different manufacturers before I found the one I am currently using.

Kona Kinis Swimwear is a small woman owned business. All of our Kona Kinis Swimwear are made from the finest eco friendly fabrics, sourced from two of the most respected fabric mills around. Our technically advanced fabrics decompose quicker than most synthetic fabrics. They also offer 50+UV Protection.

What sets us apart from all the other brands is our luxuriously soft fabrics. All of our fabrics are independently tested and certified by Oeko-tek. Every component of the product has been rigorously tested against a list of up to 350 toxic Chemicals. Our swimwear is free of toxic chemicals and harmful substances to protect your health and skin.

We are most proud of our commitment to positive social and environmental impact. Our swimwear is ethically produced in a small family owned factory in Brazil (the bikini capital of the world) by middle-aged seamstresses. We only used recycled and biodegradable materials when producing our swimwear. We also use recycled paper mailers for all online orders.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Building an audience on social media was a challenge at first. I did not know how to make reels but quickly learned this was they newest way to draw in potential followers. I quickly taught myself. Being consistent with posting has helped tremendously. There are so many other things that can occupy social media space, so you have to be consistent with posting daily or even multiple times a day. Tagging my business location also helped tremendously. A lot of customers found us through our tagged location. Also a good professional photographer makes a world of difference for showcasing your products.

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

This has been quite the journey for me. Going from stay at home mom of 15 years to putting my all into this business. I work 6 days a week in my retail shop. I probably work an additional 20-30 hours behind the scenes on things like designs, ordering, accounting, social media, creating. It can be very tiring and exhausting. But when you continue to see your business growing and increasing sales, day by day, it is hard to stop or give up. I have become extremely resilient during this process.     

Contact Info:

• Website: www.konakinis.com
• Instagram: @konakinisofficial @konakinisswimwear
• Facebook: Kona Kinis Swimwear
• Twitter: @kona_kinis
• Other: Retail Location: Kona Kinis Swimwear 75-5669 Alii Dr. Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

Image Credits
Larry Kam Sean Ledendecker