We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Prachi Patel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Prachi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the toughest things about progressing in your creative career is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

During my journey as the owner of Prachi Henna Art, LLC. I have learned many things and continue to today. I am realizing going the debt-free route with my business is going to be a long road but worth it in the end. I am a recent Mercer University Graduate so I have some student debt and my business is my full-time income. I was in my 3rd year when I started my business with henna, nose cuffs, & my original jewelry wrap at a local farmers market. I have been vending since October of 2021 and growing my social media since May of that same year. Having finally graduated with a degree in Chemical Commerce with a focus in Business Management I have time I would not have as a full-time student. I was a 3rd-year pre-med Neuroscience major when I decided to fully switch to entrepreneur life. It was a major shift in the game plan, to say the least.

I had been crafting and selling things at my parents’ convenience stores since I was 5 years old. It all began with one fateful Mother’s Day and one well-timed mom business tip. Once I got serious in 2021 I did any and every festival I could and posted on social media as much as I could. I grew my page to 1600 on Instagram only to find out from local vendor friends that paying customers are really on Facebook. The unexpected problem I am facing now is generating a community and engaged customer base. I want to promote kindness and friendship in a way that encourages learning about people in ways you would not expect. My company motto encompasses this idea: If we’re not all friends what’s the point? Keep in mind not everyone is your friend so protect your energy.

So if you are looking for a community of individuals who believe in that motto and want to support my life as a creative & authentic henna artist, welcome to Prachi Henna Art!

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.

What I am most proud of is that no matter where I end up on my journey to becoming a well-known public figure, I will have given some glimmer of representation someone with my intersections could never dream of witnessing in business, fashion, etc. I am a queer first-generation South Asian American Woman-owned business owner. I am also in a Black and Indian interracial relationship. My family finally knows my intersections now but hiding my identity from them almost all my life until here recently was crippling. I do not ever want other people with anything in common with my upbringing to have to feel alone or as if they deserve the suffering they are experiencing. All for what? Ideas of how closed-minded communities will be to the real you? Not worth it, I have found the best way to feel free and weightless in this long hard life is to be your authentic self and to be kind to those you cherish. Part of that is self-improvement and creative outlets. I get those out of my small business and my many other goals in life.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Recently in my pursuit to get daily sales, I started selling at a place called Dawn Apothecary Esthetics & Skincare. This was the first place in my last 2 years of vending that did not charge me a fee at their in-person market event. It was also the first place that allowed me to vend my things at their artist corner in their lobby for free. I think something society can really do to support artists is normalize allowing them to get exposure for free. Most of the businesses I come across cannot make enough profit to make their passion their full-time income. Part of the reason is businesses with buildings, loans, and employees want to charge small businesses an arm and leg for a few hours of access to customers. Many of the events in my area often do not have enough turnout to justify the cost of attendance. As a brick-and-mortar business, you benefit from supporting small creators because it is a unique experience for your customers. It also allows artists time to focus on honing their skills and less on keeping from starving.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I would love to create a community in which people feel free to collaborate and also celebrate each other’s successes. The brand motto encompasses it: if we’re not all friends, what’s the point? Keep in mind everyone’s not your friend so protect your energy.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.linktr.ee/prachihennaart
• Instagram: @prachihennaart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrachiHennaArtLLC/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prachi-patel-b2b114199/
• Other: https://ko-fi.com/prachihennaart

Image Credits
Prachi Henna Art, LLC.