Meet Kai Sill

We recently connected with Kai Sill and have shared our conversation below.

Kai, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

Life should be fun, right? At the same time, life is hard… Things often don’t go as planned, life is simply unfair, there is a lot of negativity, and at times, it’s easy to look at everything and say, “fuck it… What’s the point…” It’s also easy to think about and daydream about changing the world, or what you/I would do differently, or what they/he/she should do, but to actually take that risk and do or try something is terrifying…

Honestly, we started Sota Scoops with the mission to simply spread joy and happiness. That’s it, period. We want a vehicle and avenue to make people’s day and invest in community. Working at a place like an ice cream shop, or coffee shop, which I did throughout college and graduate school, is a unique place to work. Ice cream, coffee, treats, are not necessities, but things people get to add pleasure and joy. Being a part of what might be the highlight of someone’s day, or even better the opportunity to make someone’s day is priceless.

When I think about the impact I want to have with the store, even if it fails, we want to be able to say we tried, we legitimately took a risk and tried to increase the happiness in the world.

Addressing the root of the question I guess, how did we find our purpose, I’m not sure there was a moment but at least in my life, I have always looked up to people and individuals that had a positive impact on the world and those around them. That is how I at least fell into education.

As I was trying to figure out what to do with my life in college, I don’t know if it was a moment, or just a slow drip, but at some point at least, I realized that the individuals that had the biggest impact on my life, who I was, my values, and who I was growing to be, other than my parents, were my teachers. And it wasn’t what they taught me academically, but who they were, how they acted, and how they treated me, shaped my values. I am the person I am today, and a better person today, because of the adults and people in my life.

I think a lot of that also trickles into the store. Whether it’s our employees, the community, our daughters, I/we want to act with empathy, patience, and kindness, celebrate happiness, work hard, and put more joy into the world. Like I said, this venture may totally fail, but nobody can say we didn’t try to make the world a happier, kinder, and more joyful place.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

The short answer is that we are an ice cream shop, we sell ice cream. The longer answer is that we started the business and the Sota Scoops brand to sell happiness, joy, and in our own way, simply make the world a better place. Life is hard for everyone. Sometimes it’s fun to joke about the stress of life… To much to do, to little time, bills to pay, dreams not panning out, failing a this, etc. And it’s easy to fall into a cycle of negativity. With the world of social media, we are conditioned to think/see that everyone’s life is perfect. On the flip side, the news makes one believe that our world is falling apart. Reality is somewhere in between. We only get to live once. That being true, life should be fun. We should all smile more, have more empathy, laugh more, and have more joy in our lives. As human beings, we are all on the same team. There is always enough negativity in the world, but it’s often east to overlook the small wins, dimple pleasures, and joy. We started Sota Scoops to make joy more tangible, make someone’s day, and make the world a slightly happier place.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Our biggest asset, if you want to call it that, or quality is simply the ability or willingness to try something. We dove into owning a business with literally no prior business experience. We still honestly have no idea what we are doing, but we are okay with or at least can work through not being perfect, figuring things out on the fly, and being consistent with small steps in the direction we want to go.

Emma and I talked a lot initially when we were stating to really talk about the idea of Sota Scoops. We would chat, and think, “that is a freaking great idea…” We would mention it to others and they would say the same thing. Yet, it’s easy to think and daydream, but terrifying to actually take a step and make a dream a reality.

We jumped in headfirst and bought a freaking building. Again, no experience, no clue if this is really going to work, and all of a sudden we own a building… And I wouldn’t say we are risk takers….

I don’t think we have any special skills or abilities, in fact, I’d say there are tons of people far more qualified and would probably be better at this than we are, but we are the ones that did the thing.

Some of that willingness to try and fail might be a personality quirk. Both Emma and I are also athletes and in that world, you just try shit. You take your best shot, line up, and go. We both enjoy the aspect of self discovery and doing stupid or epic shit, depending on your perspective. Pushing the boundaries of one’s comfort zone is where growth happens and again, back to the idea that you only live once, wouldn’t you want to figure out what or how much you/we can do?

How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?

Both Emma and I have a similar response our idea. We both have a desire to make a lasting impact on the world/community. With only a decade to live, assuming goo health, there would be three areas I think we would focus. First, set up and establish some kind of legacy that continues to enhance the lives of others when we are gone. I don’t know what form this would take, but something that could continue to give to others. Second, travel and experience as much of the world as possible. It’s easy to think that our world is the world, but billions of lives exist every day, take a step back and put that into perspective. Third, inspire others to push their limits with some sort or a lot of stupid athletic endeavors. Run 100 miles or 200 miles, bike XYZ, do it all… Open doors to self discovery as well as show others that they are far stronger than they believe.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @sotascoops

Image Credits

Images of Kai and Emma credit Carson Hughes, Southern Minnesota News.