Your success and the way you have built this business and your brand are admirable. What advice would you give to other aspiring entrepreneurial women?
Kahyi: Running a business is definitely the most challenging, but also the most rewarding thing you will ever do, so if there is one piece of advice that we would like to leave the readers with it would be, if there’s something you’ve been dreaming of doing then start, just start!
Start where you are now and with what you already have. Don’t wait until you think the conditions are perfect, you might miss your opportunity to do something big. Dare to own your story and your journey.
Kii: Be passionate about what you do, but realize that it has to feed you. If you find yourself in a position where you are working more than you are making [money], then that is your cue to slow down. Know your worth and know when to not take on projects that don’t pay.
Kahyi: Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help. We’ve benefited from talking to tons of other business people and realized that it’s okay to be honest about what is really going on. Don’t put up a front, it’s too much wasted effort. Be disciplined with your time and honest about what your priorities are. Realized that your priorities might change over time and that’s okay!
Looking back at Kahyi & Kii in 2013 when you started out and Kahyi & Kii in 2016, would you say a lot has changed?
Kii: Personally, I am a lot more cautious now than I was when we started out. But I’m also a lot more confident and have learnt how to practice self-love better
Kahyi: I would say that I am a lot more ambitious now than I was back then. 2016 Kahyi feels like she can do bigger and more concrete things in a way that I couldn’t even begin to think about back then.
[bctt tweet=”Kahyi of @MaFashio is a lot more ambitious now than back when she started blogging” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”]
There’s no doubt you ladies are incredibly busy. When you do pause for a moment to relax and unwind, what are the top 3 things you choose to do?
Kii: For me its TV, I watch way too many shows. I’m also a big music fan and I have my own poetry blog that I share my poetry on when I find the time.
Kahyi: I love to dance, I really love to dance, and to read. I guess music as well.
We want to know some of your favourite things from this year?
Kii: “Somebody Else” by The 1975. I’m a big indie music fan.
Kahyi: Which Brings Me to You by Julianna Baggott and Steve Almond. It is one the most beautifully honest pieces of literature I’ve ever read. In today’s society, and we see it here in Zambia as well, it seems like women constantly put themselves in this position where they have to lie for other people’s benefit, from little things to big things.
This book was all about expressing oneself and one’s feelings openly and unashamedly. I loved that. It gave me hope that maybe I could find people in real life who are willing to do the same.
What’s next for MaFashio?
Kahyi: Our goal is to keep growing while remaining true to who we are and the reason why we started MaFashio, which was to tell people they look good and to make them feel good about themselves. We are still figuring out how to package and introduce ourselves to the rest of Africa, beginning by speaking at the Global Shapers’ Community (an initiative of the World Economic Forum) Annual Conference –Shape Africa held in Port Louis, Mauritius. We want to become a brand that Zambians can point to as a home-grown fashion brand that was able to expand beyond the borders of Zambia.
We truly believe that Zambia has a lot to offer the world in terms of fashion and culture and we want to represent Zambia on a much more international scale. Already, we have made steps to grow in that direction by working with some well-known international brands, including providing creative input to Pandora’s “Unique as We Are” campaign, and so we will keep seeking out more of those opportunities.
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