Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kaiya Tucker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kaiya, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
Years ago, I came across a saying that’d become a mantra for me. The saying goes, “it’s not about what happens to you, it’s about how you respond.” There’s been several things I’ve gone through where I had to refer back to that quote, and I ask myself “are you going to get up and keep going, or are you going to fold?” The person I am, the person I want to be remembered as, the mother that I am to my son, she can’t fold.
I’ve learned that time doesn’t stop. So, I can either let it pass me by, or keep rolling with it. And in order to keep rolling with it, I know I have to be resilient, because obstacles are inevitable. It’s okay to fall, but you have to get back up.
My resilience is rooted in me wanting better for myself and for my son, wanting to be an example to my son that he can do and overcome hard things, and to know that he can accomplish great things with hard work and persistence. Lastly, I’ve seen where my resilience, versus giving up, has gotten me, and I’d much rather be on the side of resilience.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am the Owner and Founder of ID’d by Distinct, an online fashion eyewear and accessories brand that encourages self-confidence and authenticity.
I’ve always been different, and a trendsetter. There’s always been something distinct that I was known for, whether it’s my hair, nails, how I dressed, etc. ID’d doubles as an abbreviation for “identified,” and acronym for ID’d by Distinct. By definition, distinct means to be recognizably different in nature from something else of similar type. In unison, ID’d by Distinct means to be easily identified by your own unique traits.
Unexpectedly, ID’d, formerly known as “Framed by Kt,” was started in my college dorm room in 2019. I started my business solely with sunglasses, but overtime, expanded to clothing and other fashion accessories including anklets, earrings, purses, and necklaces. Currently, we’ve gone back to our roots, placing eyewear at the forefront and in the spotlight. Right now, I’m focused on building community and longevity for ID’d. I want ID’d to be known for it’s message and how it makes the people feel, followed by our products.
In my business, I currently do it all, I wear all the hats. However, easily, the most exciting part of all the things I do is seeing my customers in-person reactions during events. Because we’re currently only an e-commerce store, we love having the opportunity to do in-person events where we can meet, greet and experience our customers face-to-face.
Online, we love when our customers express to us how much they love our products, but more importantly, how our products make them feel. Being able to see that feeling of excitement and confidence, in-person, while our customers shop and try-on, as well as being able to fully service them, is what’s really special to us and what we look forward to.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Reflecting on my journey, 3 qualities that were, and continue to be, the most impactful are confidence, resilience, and focus.
For someone that’s early in their journey, the advice I’d give is to: 1) Be confident in yourself, your message, and your product. Being confident in these areas makes it easier to show up and promote yourself and your brand. Being clear on your own vision and voice, while avoiding comparison, can help to build that confidence. 2) Entrepreneurship is a journey full of trial and error, ups and downs, restrategizing, etc. Therefore, you have to continuously make the choice to be resilient. By knowing your “why,” understanding that obstacles are apart of the journey, having faith, and being willing to put the work in to reap it’s benefits, you’ll continue to be resilient. 3) Prioritizing your business is key. Your focus has to be steadfast on your business, especially in it’s early stages and while building the foundation. Writing weekly to-do lists, short and long term goals, and practicing time management, are all factors that can tremendously aid in keeping you focused, as well as increasing productivity.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Being an entrepreneur can definitely be overwhelming in itself. In addition to being an entrepreneur, I’m also a single mom to a toddler. So I’ve had to adapt, and even find new methods, to reset after becoming overwhelmed.
For me, I’ve found that “brain dumping” helps tremendously. Brain dumping is simply releasing the thoughts, ideas, to-do lists, etc. onto paper. Brain dumping assists in decluttering and reorganizing your mind. A few other recommendations would definitely be to: 1) Rest. Sometimes when we’re feeling overwhelmed, we simply just need a nap or proper rest. 2) Fresh air. Taking a step away, to really soak in sun and breathe fresh air, does something much needed for the mind and body.
Contact Info:
- Website: idbydistinct.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/idbydistinct?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IDdbyDistinct?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/IDdbyDistinct
