More Than Just a Piece of Gear - Kula Cloth

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Anastasia Allison, Founder of Kula Cloth, located in Arlington, WA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Kula Cloth is an antimicrobial pee cloth (yes, a pee cloth!) for anybody who squats when they pee. It is a Leave No Trace reusable toilet paper option for pee ONLY. Kula Cloth is used by humans who pee all around the world, but it is most popular with hikers, campers, cyclists, RVers, boaters, and other outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds. Some people even use Kula Cloth at home to cut down on waste.

Tell us about yourself

I am a former park ranger and backpacking instructor who was frustrated by the amount of toilet paper that I saw discarded in fragile alpine environments. While searching for 'leave no trace' toilet paper options, I read an article about using a scrap of fabric as a 'pee cloth.' The idea initially grossed me out, but I decided to try it... and to my surprise, I LOVED IT! It made my outdoor recreation so much more comfortable and enjoyable. I started carrying a small scrap of blue fabric as a pee cloth, and I taught all of my backpacking students about using a pee cloth. One day, as a joke, I was taking photographs of my pee cloth at sunset to send to a friend (ha!)... and as I was taking the photo, I thought to myself, "I wish that looked cooler." I wondered if I could design a pee cloth like a real piece of gear if more people would be open to the idea of trying one and perhaps less squeamish about it. I knew that a beautiful pee cloth might also normalize conversations around hygiene and waste in the backcountry. I had absolutely ZERO experience in starting a business or working in the manufacturing/textile industry, but I decided to try anyways. A few years later, Kula Cloth was born after many rounds of testing and prototyping. It's now carried and used by tens of thousands of people all over the world!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

As a business owner, I think that my biggest accomplishment is finding ways to create genuine connections and love through the creation of my product. I never wanted Kula Cloth to 'just be' a piece of gear - I wanted it to be a way to cultivate genuine connection, kindness, and good in the world. When your focus is on serving others and bringing more compassion into every interaction - you simply cannot fail. When service becomes your guiding light, the 'nitty gritty' parts of running a business take care of themselves because you no longer attach arbitrary numbers to your success - you are no longer 'chasing' things that are ultimately meaningless. Love and connection ARE the meaning of everything, and success follows when you make that your priority. Showing up with kindness and seeing the good in all beings is my daily practice. It is sometimes a challenge but being able to love people through challenges is the greatest gift we can give to the whole world.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Not getting swept into being 'busy' has been my greatest challenge as a business owner. We live in a world that tells us that we need to place our priority on 'doing things' - but I've discovered that simply 'being' is the most important thing of all. The more I push off my own peace and happiness and replace it with stress and 'being busy' - the worse it gets. I've learned that finding peace and happiness happens right here, at this moment - it won't come in a few months when things are 'less busy.' I've developed a meditation and dancing practice that helps me stay present and connected to my heart and the creative flow of life - and ultimately, that has allowed me to 'do' more than I ever would have accomplished by working 18-hour days and burning myself out. In the beginning, I worked long hours and was stressed out all the time. The business has taught me to slow down and enjoy THIS moment as a gift and not to spend my time missing out on the life that is living through me right now.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. Place your priority on your own energy - finding peace and joy, and happiness in the here and the now. They will not come later - your 100% top priority must be finding them right now. The rest of your life and your business will change to reflect your inner peace - not the other way around.
2. DANCE and have fun. Dance every single day - I dance every day, and it is more important to me than any e-mail I will ever answer. Find something that you love that is creative and connects you to who you are in this moment. Find something that makes you feel abundant and full of life, and do that. Don't convince yourself that it is not related to your business - it is ABSOLUTELY the most important thing you can and will do for your business. Your job as the founder of a business is to place yourself in an energetic state of abundance, creativity, love, and compassion as often as possible. This will be the attraction point for your entire business... not fear, doubt, or worry.
3. You don't need to know all the answers. Visualize what you want, find the feeling of it - and then let it go. Let the answers come to you, not the other way around. Have fun as much as possible, and the universe will show you what you need to see so you can 'figure it all out.' You aren't alone and loved - and coming back to that over and over again will always bring you success in beautiful and unexpected ways.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://kulacloth.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kulacloth/

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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