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How did you come up with the idea for your business?
In a world where we are always trying to see more, and need more to satisfy our ever-growing list of material desires, I love how a hand-painted card allows us to appreciate life’s little moments. KenaliaCards, the online greeting card shop I founded, has given me the opportunity to create watercolor cards celebrating first homes, birthdays, weddings, and even honoring passed loved ones, in an accessible way.
What does the average day look like for you now as an entrepreneur (especially compared to past jobs/days)?
When I first started KenaliaCards in the middle of COVID social distancing, my day looked a lot like this: Waking up at 7 A.M, answering emails and responding to customers. 9 A.M, assemble my watercolor materials and begin to paint my orders. Until 4 P.M, continue to paint, add finishing touches, script my logo, slip my cards into an envelope, tie a satin ribbon around the envelope, and package the cards in shipping packages. 5 P.M, drive to USPS and drop off the orders. 5:30 P.M. Come home and finish my homework. 10 P.M - Midnight, Paint & Relax. During Covid, our school was online and asynchronous, allowing me to really explore my passion for painting and run my small business. I loved the process, even though there were times when orders would pile up and it would become overwhelming, it was an incredible creative outlet and I loved hearing about how much the painting meant to my customers. I did have to give up a lot of the time I spent socializing with friends, but because we were all staying within our homes, it felt like the safe and right move anyways. Today, I spend my time juggling between pre-med classes + my awesome Women in LeadHERship class, activities on campus, and coming home to paint. There are times when the pendulum swings on way and my focus shifts to painting and ideating for the future of KenaliaCards, and others when I am focused on my classes. Finding the balance has been tricky, but I have loved growing and developing my skills through this entire process.
Who or what inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
Much of my family is involved in medicine and software engineering, so entrepreneurship was not something within their comfort zone. I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur at first, more of a painter who wanted to share her art with the community! A lot of my love for entrepreneurship stems from seeing people in the media transform their passions into businesses. Watching Shark Tank from an early age, I had so many entrepreneurs that I looked up to. For one of my classes in high school, I even wrote a paper about Kendra Scott and her entrepreneurial journey that led her there. I was inspired by trailblazing women from Heela Yang, founder of Sol de Janeiro to Shiza Shahid, founder of the cookware brand Our Place. I love their missions and the specific set of circumstances that led them to the point of creating a business. The values they bring to the table and the intention behind their work is something that I hope to embody as an entrepreneur as well.
What have been 1-2 of your proudest moments in creating your business?
I think one of the proudest moments in creating my business was reaching 100 watercolor portraits and cards sold. It was a big first step and my family bought a cake to celebrate the achievement. Also, when my Etsy product, “Photo to Hand-painted Card,” became an Etsy “Bestseller,” it was incredible to see the badge for the hard work I had put in. Also, along the way, every time a customer left a heartfelt review or gave me feedback about how the card had touched their lives, I felt prouder and it felt more meaningful than any of the sale numbers or badges.
About The Author:
Kena Desai '25
Founder of KenaliaCards