Meet Kanch by Kolika
FOUNDED BY
THE INTERVIEW
Written by Boston Women’s Market & Kolika Chatterjee
Boston Women’s Market: Can you tell us a bit about what led you to begin your journey with Kanch by Kolika? Was there an aha! Moment?
Kolika Chatterjee: I am a self taught glass artist who made art for over a decade before this became a business. My glasswork is very experimental, analytical and outright playful. The aha moment happened when I was a tween, playing with a sheet of glass and ink (as us elder millennials could) recklessly. And everyday when I am in my studio now, serendipitous moments happen, because I carry with me practices I honed in my scientist-days understanding heat-cycles and material science and pushing boundaries through experimentation.
Over the years, my medium and collections have evolved with both personal motivation and sometimes customer feedback.
BWM: How have you continued to manage the growth of the company, while also finding time and ways to invest in yourself?
Kolika: In one word, it is community. This spans consumers, makers, organizers all of us who gets our way of life. This is how we grow our business and invest in our lives. It is also important to understand that our business is not separate from ourselves. It is only sustainable if we learn to sustain ourselves.
BWM: Our Members are often just beginning to grow their business, and many are interested in learning from other successful businesswomen. What key pieces of insight have you learned from launching your business?
Kolika: For me, it is always important to read the room and know your audience. If I am in the wrong room, I am not making the right sales (if I am at all making sales).
BWM: With the business acumen you have now, what's one piece of advice you wish you could tell yourself five years ago?
Kolika: That every 5 years it will be something totally different, this means nothing. :) Change is the only constant and that is a great thing.
BWM: We think the stories of failure are just as important as the stories of success. Can you talk about a time that you failed in an entrepreneurial venture or objective? How did you face and overcome this failure? What was the lesson learned?
Kolika: I am a glass artist. Things break- can it be salvaged? If not can we avoid getting a cut?
Nature happens- could we be prepared? Sometimes in the greatest events, people don't buy. Is there something we could have done better if not, can we cut losses?
Life is unpredictable. Unpredictability is life. It is okay to feel sad and it is okay to take a breath and move on to the next thing.
BWM: Do you have a favorite go-to business tool or resource you can recommend to our members?
Kolika: I am a spreadsheet-er. I train people on pricing strategy and audience segmentation. Happy to help!
