We recently connected with Kadifa Chambers and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kadifa , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Coming from humble beginnings set the foundation for my drive to discover my purpose and calling. I was always ambitious from a young age and saw great things for myself, from early on I was always career and business-focused. It was not until the trials and tribulations hit I would say this pushed me to dig a little deeper to discover my WHY, which effectively led me to discover my purpose.
Asking myself uncomfortable questions about my current pursuits and the reason behind my chosen career and business led me to realise the core of my purpose which is to 1. Inspire women and young people to go after their dreams 2. Stay motivated and resilient in doing just that 3. Promote women and the next generation in all endeavours.
The passion to fulfil my purpose was also validation that I had to embark on pursuits of this, knowing that behind this I would leave behind a positive movement, especially in the women’s empowerment space.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I have always been a multi-faceted woman, essentially wanting to embrace all areas of myself in which I feel I am destined to make a change or fulfil a purpose. Being born of Trinidadian heritage and starting a life in the UK with my family I certainly felt the doors of opportunity opened for me from a young age.
Pursuing a career in clinical research is where my drive for the corporate world started and I would say it made me grow thick skin. Facing the challenges of working in a life-changing and impactful industry and also as a woman climbing the corporate ladder in a fast-paced industry, pushed me to wanting to gain heights of success even more.
Discovering more about myself led me down the path of wanting to restore balance and purpose in my life. Again, as women, we are multi-faceted beings and I never shy away from trying to discover something new about myself. This path to discovery birthed my brand, House of KANAI. I wanted to create a powerhouse entity that could fulfil the purpose and my vision which is to inspire, motivate and promote women in lifestyle and wellness.
During the growing process of KANAI, I saw a need to provide a platform to empower women, to set well-being and lifestyle goals that promote escapism from the hustle and bustle of career, business and challenges of motherhood or family life. Creating a blog for women by women essentially is the channel that we have chosen to speak to women to help inspire and motivate them toward a feel-good, look-good mantra.
The bi-product of KANAI is our swim and resort wear, this taps into my Caribbean roots and the longing to re-visit island lifestyle. Having trailed through websites looking for destination attire I was not impressed with anything that I saw that could be locally sourced in the UK that gave that luxury feel for a timeless wardrobe. I felt there was no time like to present to tap into my sewing skills and create sample pieces to test the market. After 6 years of starting the brand and the backlash of COVID-19, we have kick-started business again with our new SS24 Collection with a capsule collection called EVOLVE. All are available on the House of KANAI website for pre-order.
Some exciting things are coming for House of KANAI, including women’s empowerment events hosted by our sister brand HOK Woman. We will also be showcasing our swim and resort wear this summer at some of our events, trade shows and self-hosted pop-up shops in London. The best way to find out where we are going to be is to subscribe to houseofkanai.com to stay updated on our next move.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Understanding your purpose, your gift or your passion would fuel your WHY. Identifying that can be challenging, soul searching, prayer or meditation and channelling guidance for this is a good place to start.
For anyone starting this journey, I would recommend expanding your knowledge in the area of your pursuits, doing your research, understanding your industry, identifying a need of what you want to fulfil and pairing that with your purpose would help to motivate your next move.
Developing a system for your business or idea so it is reputable is a skill that needs to develop from early, incorporating habits daily turns into routines and can help provide structure to your goals and achieving them.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
Key scriptures from the Bible have helped to provide wisdom, knowledge, understanding and strength to get me through tough situations during this journey. If I have a problem or if I am seeking guidance there is always a scripture that lands in me or that I can read to help provide me with a good foundation to keep going. The power of the tongue, visualising and manifesting are all tools the Bible mentions that you will need along this process.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.houseofkanai.com
- Instagram: @houseofkanai
