Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in branding and marketing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sean Kim, Founder of Kairos Studio, located in Plano, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Our mission at Kairos is to bridge the gap between our client's business and their consumers in the health & wellness industry. You know how when you first interact with a business, the person working seems very friendly… but when you go into their office and meet their receptionist, or interact with their salesperson, or see their website, it looks disconnected, and you don't feel the same way? My hope and my mission are to help businesses communicate the same message across all of their platforms, both online and offline so that the brand message is clear. And when brand messaging is strong and clear, that helps our clients to get more business which results in more revenue.
Tell us about yourself
My name is Sean, and I'm the founder and creative director of Kairos. I oversee the creative direction and usually act as the lead designer, too. As creative director, I collaborate with other creatives and marketers to make a decision in terms of marketing, branding, web or app design, etc.
I studied general illustrations at the SUNY Fashion Institute of Tech in New York, and after that, I worked as a graphic designer in the fashion industry for magazine companies. I eventually transitioned to working as a fashion designer, and my last job before starting Kairos Design was at an apparel company, working as a jeans designer for Original Penguin. Around that time, I started freelancing for other clients, mainly helping with their brand identity and web design, before eventually building a team and offering strategic branding and marketing all under one roof.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Helping one of our clients to launch a new business and grow from zero to half a million in six months was definitely challenging but very rewarding. Now we're aiming for a couple of million in revenue for the same project. We have tested different strategies and systemized the ones that worked so we can apply them to new projects.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Management is definitely one of the most difficult things. Finding the right person for your team who is passionate, talented, and shares the same vision is very hard. I am lucky to be working with smart talents as a team, and I hope to grow together.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
I would say to keep exploring and keep pushing your boundaries. Always try new things, and constantly keep learning the world is changing more quickly than ever.
- Learn and adopt new things: The way we communicate changes all the time. Try and explore new ways to communicate with your people in the industry and see what fits you the most. Talk to customers in the industry and see what their pain points are and see if you can solve that problem- if so, you have a product.
- Fail quickly & learn: Get it to the market quickly and test it. Keep seeking innovation and adapt to the market. It's better for you to fail small quickly and learn from it than fail slowly and big.
- Love your customers, not your products: Fall in love with your customers and listen to them. If you love your customers, they'll love back your brand and your products and become your biggest supporter.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.andkairos.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kairosme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kairosme/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DesignKairos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kairos-design/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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