Creatives Like Us Podcast - Ep5: Kala Paul-Worika
'We belong to any space we choose to be in.' - Kala Paul-Worika
In this episode of Creatives Like Us, host Angela Lyons speaks with Kala Paul-Worika, a freelance journalist and the founder of By Kala X, a brand specialising in Afro-chic home interiors and clothing. Kala shares how her Nigerian heritage and love for vibrant African fabrics inspired her to start the business, initially making baby clothes and homeware as gifts before turning it into a sustainable brand. Alongside her creative work, she also writes for The Guardian Labs and reflects on her journey in journalism, from reporting on local news to covering the entertainment industry.
Kala discusses the balance of running a business, freelancing in journalism, and navigating spaces where representation has been limited. Kala also talks about the importance of sustainability in her work, particularly through her upcycled denim collection. She shares insights into her creative process, her future ambitions, and how workshops have become an important part of her brand.
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Links for Kala X
Where to find Kala X:
Website: https://www.bykalax.com
Instagram (By Kala X): https://www.instagram.com/bykalax
Instagram (The Media Mummy): https://www.instagram.com/themediamummy
Guardian Labs (for her writing work): https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-labs
Mentions:
We Are Black Journos : https://www.weareblackjournos.com
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This podcast is hosted by Angela Lyons of Lyons Creative.
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Chapters/Timestamp
Can you introduce yourself to tell people who you are, and what kind of creative are you?
How did you start your business?
How did you get into Journalism? And what was your experience like?
What kind of creative projects are you working on at the moment?
Who is your catalyst connection for getting started in business?
What's next for you?
What would you say to your teenage self?
Transcript
Intro
Hello and welcome to Creatives Like Us, where I speak with creatives of colour, who share journeys and stories and ideas, and how they can inspire and open up avenues in creative industries. I'm your host, graphic designer Angela Lyons, and with the help of my guests, I will bring insightful interviews and compelling stories that can inspire you to think about things differently or shape your next move. Being a creative of colour can bring its challenges - highs and lows and in betweens, but this podcast is about amplifying our voices and celebrating together. So are you ready? Let's get started with Creatives Like Us.
Angela
Hi Kala, and welcome, for joining me today, on Creatives Like Us. Can you introduce yourself to tell people who you are, and what kind of creative are you?
Kala
So my name is Kala Paul-Worika. I am a freelance journalist, but I am also a maker and designer. I founded my business ‘By Kala X’, which is, I would say, Afro chic, interior and clothing design, so made from vibrant African fabrics.
Angela
I would just love to know, how did you actually start your business?
Kala
In terms of my business, I started it because I've always grown up with the fabrics and my family. My background is Nigerian. My parents are from Nigeria, and growing up we always wore the fabrics, and they were very, you know, keen for us to be aware of our culture. We used to do parties so differently. Back in the day, I think every weekend, we'd go to a family party or celebration, and everyone would be wearing headsets in African print. And I've always loved it, but as in, it has, at times, felt overwhelming. So in terms of me loving it, but wanting to bring it to everyday life. And I think when I had my kids, because I would say they're of mixed heritage, so that their dad is Jamaican - so I wanted them to be able to appreciate it, but not for it to be overwhelming as such. So initially, I just started making baby clothes, and cushion covers, giving it to friends. Lots of friends were having babies as well, so I'd make bibs and give it to them. And yeah, it was just, it was more of a side hustle at that time. In fact, to start off with, I was just doing it, and just giving it as gifts. And someone was like, have you ever thought about selling your stuff on Etsy? So that's how it started, that I was working for The Media Eye. I was editor there, so during the day, I'd be doing all the editor stuff, and then I'd come home and I'd be sewing, and I gave one of my colleagues was a Secret Santa, a cushion cover that I'd made, and she was the one that was like, oh, have you thought about selling this on Etsy? So in terms of the business being created, I would say that was probably when I looked at it as a possibility to actually make money, because before, it was just a relaxation from the stress of the day job.
After that, yeah, I started listing things on Etsy, I would say I focused more on the clothing side. First kids wear, then adult stuff and the home interior. And when I had my son, who's now seven, and I was on maternity leave, I thought, let me focus on it properly, let me see where I can take the business, if I'm, like, going to market, really promoting it. And yeah, so from then, I would say that's when I really started to focus on the business. And I've been freelancing on and off for, I don't even know, forever.
Angela
When you say freelance is that your, the journalist day job? Or your actual ?
Kala
Yeah, so at the moment, I would say one of my main jobs is feature writing for The Guardian Labs. So that's their sponsored content.
Angela
Oh, nice!
Kala
And yeah, any other freelance jobs that come along. I always joke that I'm, I'm not the best freelancer, because I don't like really seek too much work.
Angela
Does it come to you then?
Kala
Well, I'm lucky enough that, enough does come, and I think because I've got the business, I'm not, when I don't have too many commissions in terms of freelancing in the journalism, then I'm focusing more on the business, and vice versa. Some months, I'll go months without writing anything, and I'll just be focusing on the business. And then some months, it'll be really busy with the business, and I'll be asked to write three, 800 word articles. And, you know, yeah. It's how things are, and it's allowed me to express that creative side of myself through the business. And also, I'm a mum of two, so it enables me to be around for the kids, and just to do the whole mum-life, juggle.
Angela
Yeah, it's interesting, because when I first approached you to come on the podcast, I initially thought it was just your designs By Kala X, and I didn't know that you were a journalist, cause, as you said, you don't really share that as much, but I'd love to see your work. So if people wanted to see more of your journalists work, or commission you, would that be on the Guardian Labs? Or do you have a website that you promote all your work on, or…?
Kala
I don't have a website. I do have… So I think the reason why you didn't know is because I have two separate Instagram accounts
Anglea
Ahh Okay, yeah!
Kala
So my journalism account is, it's called The Media Mummy, because I used to work for The Media Eye, which is a contacts and events listings directory. So while I was working there, I think I must have created my Instagram account, and I was blogging also a lot at that time, doing, taking my kids to all the film launches, and any kids focus or family focus thing, I would take them to and I'd write about it in my spare time as well for my blog. So I've just kept the name, but it's slightly because my background is showbiz journalism
Angela
Fantastic! Is that fantastic? Or was that a lot of late nights or early mornings?
Kala
I mean, this is the thing. It was a lot of late nights and when I was…so I started off like the traditional way with my journalism. I did the course. I did the training at a local paper, Barking and Dagenham post. I did my years of training there. I did everything, attending the council meetings, going on with the police to like drug raids, and things like that.
Angela
Oh my gosh!
Kala
I did everything, so court reporting, etc, but it was there that I recognised that I've always loved, like the theatre, and going to shows, so I would always put my hand up to go and review shows and stuff like that. And then when people are coming to the area to perform at the local theatre, I'd love to go and interview them. And I guess that's where I pushed my love of entertainment and showbiz. So when I went on to another local paper, but when I left there, I did a few other things, but ultimately I decided to go freelance. And my first, like, freelance jobs where I went into shift, was at the Mirror, on the 3am page?
Angela
Oh yeah! That's quite a famous show business page, isn't it?
Kala
Yeah. So I yeah, that was like…
Angela
Was that fun, or tough, or both?
Kala
It was fun when you're, I think when you're like, child-free, and you're just like, it's like, for me to tell people, they'll be like, Oh my gosh, that's so like crazy, and that's so amazing. And it was, there were definitely aspects of it which I loved. You go to the showbiz parties, and you'd like but it was, I feel like it was very different to how it is now, because I could go to a party and I'd be sitting with an A-Lister, and you'd be able to have a conversation with them, but now I don't think you'd be able to have that access to celebrities, and the way parties are formatted…
Angela
It’s very, very constructive now, isn't it? And I suppose people have certain things, and certain promotions. I don't know. I'm just thinking about, I'm sure the construction of it now is like promotions and people saying, oh, you can't talk to them unless you're part of this or this, that or the other, whereas before, stars mostly just rocked up.
Kala
Yeah, I think a lot of the time, I used to always say that, it wasn't the celebrities that didn't like to give you access to them. It was more their like, publicist or their PR that was just a bit like, hold on, who are you? And that's, that was part of the game, like, you had to get to that person before the publicist like stopped you!
Angela
Make conversation in the toilets!
Kala
Exactly! like as in… And you know, the reason I say things have changed. We don't smoke inside anymore. I'm not a smoker, but, and that's the thing, I'm not a smoker, but some of the best stories I've got have been hanging out in the smokers area, because that's where, like, some of the celebrities will be chilling and but, yeah, it's very different.
Angela
So no more showbiz at the moment.
Kala
Not at the moment. I would say, in terms of describing what I do, I would say more feature writing. I'm happy to interview celebrities, but I don’t really go to showbiz events anymore. If someone wants to invite me I could go…
Anglea
But I’m not writing about it. I’m just going to chill out!
Kala
I think I feel like my lifestyle has changed. And like you said, it's late nights, early mornings when I used to, for The London Paper. I don't know if you remember that - that used to be a free paper on the tube?
Angela
The London Paper, like the metro?
Kala
Yeah.
Angela
But it was called The London paper?
Kala
Yeah. It was called the London paper, and it was like the deadline for publishing was really early, so I'd go out late at night, and I'd have to be in the office really early to write up my copy. These were the days before it would be the norm to send through your copy from home, or you know, yeah, yeah, but it prepared me for motherhood. That's why I always say!
Angela
That's such great preparation, isn't it, the late nights and early mornings and anything in between
Kala
Yeah, I'm not even joking, as in, when I had my, because I think, so when The London Paper closed, I was pregnant with my daughter, and she's 14 now, and yeah, I was just like, I’ve got this! Yeah just didn’t feel like anything different, operating on a couple of hours of sleep. And it's just, it's not amazing, but I was just like, this is just very similar to what I've been doing over the last couple of years.
Angela
Just out of interest, and also just because of what the nature of this podcast is, how did you get into journalism? Was it literally cold calling, or and how did you feel when you stepped into certain rooms in certain places?
Kala
Yeah, so I've always enjoyed writing, and I've always been told that, at school, ‘your daughter writes so well’. And initially me being me, I was like, Yeah, my handwriting is really nice!
Angela
Looks pretty!
Kala
Yeah, but they actually meant in terms of, like, how I write, how I express myself. And to be honest, it was only my last year at university that I decided I wanted to do journalism, because, as I said, I've always loved the theatre. I've always loved drama. I thought I was going to be an actress.
Angela
Oh really, on the stage!
Kala
I love, I love my music. And I thought I was gonna be a star.
Angela
You are a star! You are a star!
Kala
And I have traditional Nigerian parents, and it was always, whereas they supported my love of theatre, I would say, was part of Hackney new theatre. My dad would take me to, take me to, things like that, so that it would encourage me to pursue the things that I enjoyed. But in terms of having it as a career, I'm not sure that was ever, that was not on the list. Like the list was doctor, lawyer, accountant, engineer…
Angela
Teacher?
Kala
Yeah, that's another like, when I finished university and I'd done drama in English, and there was no job, my dad was just like, showing me all these possible jobs. And he was just, what about being a teacher, as in, he was just like, anything, just do anything type thing. But yeah, I always loved it. I did Performing Arts at college, but English as well. I've always loved that sort of expression through writing, but I've never said, Oh, I don't particularly want to write a book or be an author. That's not what I've wanted to do. But yeah, at university, I just, I think I did magazine with the AfroCAB Society. We had a magazine that we created and that just made me decide that actually, this is, I do enjoy writing.
Anglea
Enjoy it, yeah.
Kala
Yeah. So after university, I did drama in English, so I did a course in journalism, like a 20 week course. So you learned about the law aspects. You did Teeline, shorthand.
Anglea
Oh, okay, yeah, yeah.
Kala
What else did I do? Yeah…
Angela
It was a long time ago!
Kala
But it was like a 20 week course, and it's NCTJ accredited, which is the National Council Training for Journalists. I think the idea is that you continue your training on a local paper, or, I guess, if you're lucky enough, a national paper, and then you do other exams during that. Yeah, I just after that, I applied for local newspapers around the country, actually.
Angela
Oh, really, you were ready to travel?
Kala
Yeah, I definitely remember getting on some trains to go to interviews. So, yeah. And the one I got was Barking and Dagenham.
Angela
Oh, that was handing because you're in East London, is that right?
Kala
It was. But it was a very different place at the time. They were getting a lot of people coming in from… what country was it in particular? it may have been Africans coming in at the time. And so there was a lot of, a bit of tension. Maybe I shouldn't say a lot of.
Anglea
What do you mean coming in? Into the UK or into the newspaper?
Kala
I don’t know whether, I’m trying to think why it was changing so much. I think, you know, when you go further out of London, there was a time when it would just be like East Londoners, yeah, it's a bit like in Layton as well. At one point there's, there was an influx of creatives that are just like buying the houses because they're cheaper, and they're having their families. And I think in Barking and Dagenham, the maybe the Councils had to accommodate more people that were maybe just deciding to live in this country. So the makeup of the area, maybe that's what I should say actually, the makeup of the area was going through a change. It was becoming more diverse. And I guess if you know, you're white English, you've lived in East London or Essex for your whole life, and then suddenly you're seeing all these different faces coming in, and as one person commented on the fact that I had such a good job and I looked like this, but they didn't say it like that.
Angela
Okay!
Kala
Yeah. So, you know, I've, I think erm… they so we get a lot of calls, people calling up, ‘my mum hasn't had hot water for five days’, or whatever, you need to write about this. And speaking to the guy on the phone, I was like, yeah, this sounds awful. Spoke to the mum, was lovely, really old woman. And this is that, you know, my memory is not that good as I get older! This is one of the things I remember. You remember, and the guy was completely fine with me on the phone, and I guess maybe in the way I talk, you can't, you have no idea whether I'm black, brown, whatever, on the phone. So he was talking to me fine. So you've got to come round. You need to come round and see it and speak to my mum. Blah, blah, blah. I was like, okay, book the photographer, we went round to the house. Literally, the guy opened the door, and you could see in his face that he was surprised. He was surprised to see that I was a black person, and which is fine, and I wasn't by myself. Yeah, I wasn't like, scared or anything for my safety. I was just like, whatever. I've had, it's not the first time it's happened. Went in, sat down. Mother was like this old woman. She was lovely. I was speaking to her, and then the guy just made this comment, you've got quite a cushy job.
Angela
Oh!
Kala
And it just felt a bit like, Okay…
Angela
What that you shouldn’t? You don’t deserve the job?
Kala
You know, you can read it however you want to read it, but that was his comment. And yeah, for me, the few things that I wouldn't say I ever experienced outright racism at the time, but there were definitely times when it was a bit like, maybe people were a bit surprised that I was in the role. I think I may have been the only black person on the reporting team. Yeah, and it's been like, I wouldn't say it's always been like that, but even when I went to the nationals, I would definitely say, when I was out and about, sometimes I would be confused for the other black. So that’s that, and that was, I would say, that's towards the beginning of my career, like when I was starting out on the Nationals, because now, as the time progresses, there's quite a few, like, there's loads of black female journalists.
Angela
It’s changed.
Kala
And it has changed, but it's not. There have been times when I have been the only black female, for sure, but maybe even the only black journalist in the room, or in the environment. And yeah.
Angela
Speaking of that, did you ever join? We Are Black Journos, the organisation?
Kala
No, I feel like I don't know when that was set up, but it's not something that I've even heard about.
Angela
Never came across it. Yeah, I only heard about them, I think maybe about three years ago, but no I’d never heard of them, but I thought maybe you had.
But,you have to talk about your other business, your what do you say? What do you call it? The actual, is it called?
Kala
I call it By Kal. The brand is By Kala X, because it's, everything is made by myself, and it's made with love.
Anglea
Is that the X?
Kala
Although I've debated taking it off, the X, because sometimes I get called Kallax!
Angela
But do you know what, I did see it, and I thought oh, and I’m not judging you, I’m not taking the mickey but I thought that’s the name of the cupboards in IKEA isn’t it?!
Kala
Exactly! So sometimes I'm like, I feel like I should take it off. But when I was younger, I will tell you story. When I was younger, and I used to practice my showbiz signature…
Angela
Of course, of course!
Kala
I used to do Kala with a star on the end, so joining up the star with my name, and then that changed into with a kiss, like an x on the end. And to be honest, it's actually really weird, because I'm not really that type of person, like I don't sign up, sign off every conversation with a kiss anyway, so that's not me, but I just liked the way it looked. And for me, yeah. For in terms of the brand, it just is trying to say that everything is made by myself, and it's made with love. Is made, you know, with a little part of me.
Angela
That’s really lovely.
What are you actually up to at the moment? Because obviously I've met you, I have met Kala at a workshop, and I made a wreath. It was lovely. It was just before Christmas, and I've still got it hanging up on my front door, so it's really lovely. It's funny because my daughter said, Oh, you're not going to take it down. I was like, it's just so colourful, and it brings a bit of colour to the house. So let's keep it up.
So what kind of creative projects are you working on at the moment? It's been great discussing your journalism and where you come from, but what's, what are you actually working on right now?
Kala
So at the moment, in terms of the business, so By Kala X is a clothing and home decor brand, but what I try to do is, I always try and use up all parts of the fabric. Like you said, I met you at a workshop where it was a rag wreath workshop. The reason I started making the rag wreaths, is because I wanted to use up aspects of the fabric, bits of the fabric that I use day to day.
Angela
And were they leftovers?
Kala
Yeah, so it's all off, off cuts of the fabric. So basically, whenever I wear African print, I tend to wear it with denim. So for me, I like the idea of combining the two, hence why I started to do the upcycle denim in terms of the circular economy, just making sure that there's no loose ends, like I'm using up all the fabric, I'm not discarding things. I started to do upcycle denim, and at the moment, the project I'm working on is a new collection of upcycled denim, and I will be doing the launch February 27th I believe, a Thursday. So basically, everything is, like, one of a kind pieces. It's, I'm like, either thrifting it, I'm like, looking on Vinted, eBay, getting the denim.
Angela
Oh so you’re actually using upcycled denim. So it's a denim that's been used before, and then you're repurposing it. Oh, brilliant.
Kala
It's like saving denim from landfill, using up the off cuts that I have in the studio. Yeah, I think I initially started doing it maybe a year, or two years ago, and it's been really popular, but it is quite time consuming, because even, and I don't list it online, because it's all like, one of a kind pieces. And so I think I had a conversation with, that I put on Instagram, asking people like, how do they want to have access to it? Because my ultimate goal is not to do as many markets, like I really need to reduce on the markets that I'm doing. A lot of people said that they would come along to like an open evening, yeah, so that's my main focus at the moment, I would say.
But I'm also, I guess, the difference between when I first started the business and now is I'm much more organised in terms of, I launch collections and everything happens at a certain time, whereas before it be like, Oh, I like that fabric, I'm gonna make a top, I'm gonna make a skirt out of it, and I'm gonna make a lampshade out of it! Which was a bit mad, it wasn't organised. And then I go back to the place, and there wouldn't be the fabric left anymore. So now it's a bit more organised, and so I'm in the process of preparing for another photoshoot to just update my collection that I do have.
Angela
Do you have a website? Yeah? So, yeah. Website. Your By Kala X, so yeah, if you say out and then we can, I'll also link in the show notes, and people can go and look and purchase online too. Yeah, so if you let us…
Kala
It’s basically https://bykalax.com/
Angela
Oh brilliant.
Kala
Yeah. Very simple.
Angela
Nice and simple.
Kala
Yeah, yeah. Just always trying to keep it fresh, and I guess working towards markets, I'm forever saying that I'm gonna do less markets, because…
Angela
Is it just to meet people, or is it just you think, oh, you can't say no, and then you think, Oh, that's a good opportunity. Or just, is that why you keep on going?
Kala
I think it's always that belief that this is the one that is, the one that you need to be at, and also it does help you raise your profile. And in terms of me pushing my workshops, that is something that I want to do more of this year. And sometimes it doesn't matter how much advertising you do, it's only when you meet people in person and you're like, Oh, I do workshops. And then they, yeah, I've never heard that you did that before. And but in terms of the juggle, and I know I look so young!
Angela
You are, you do!
Kala
Just the markets exhaust me, as in, it's hard work in terms of, you organise childcare, you pack everything up, you get to the market, you unload everything, you set up. And then if you've been blessed with a good day, then maybe it will go by fairly quickly, because you're serving customers and talking to other stallholders. But then other days, the customers are a few, you're there for, I don't know, six hours, yeah, and then you pack up again and you've paid.
Angela
I was gonna say, you plus pay. And does that? Does that feel quite demoralising, and thinking, why am I doing this? And do you wanna give up?
Kala
Can do, it can do. And I think it's only been the last year or two that it's really like, it started to be more occasions where I've struggled than I haven't, and I think that's a result of the financial climate. And, yeah. And I sell the things. I sell, the price point, it's not, not all of it is particularly it's not, oh, I'm just gonna treat myself type thing. It's an investment piece for your home.
Kala
Like people don't, in general, people don't buy a lampshade as a spur of the moment thing, it’s more…
Angela
It’s considered.
Kala
Yeah, is this gonna fit in with my decor at the moment? And I get that, and most of the time people maybe they would buy it, and then they'll think afterwards, is it gonna fit in? But now it's more like, is it gonna fit in? Oh no, I'm gonna go away and think about it, and then it's if it's luck, they will come back and buy it now, yeah, like I said, it's just more everything is a bit more considered I feel year on year. Like Christmas has just been a bit harder each year. And, yeah, it's been, it's been hard, and I think the way I'm trying to accommodate that is by changing what I'm offering, the last since last year, I've been focusing a lot more on workshops, because I do think people are more interested in an experience.
Angela
Yeah, and creating something themselves, instead of just, like, getting it in front of them. Yeah.
Kala
Exactly.
Angela
Do you know, it's interesting that you're, the wreath workshop. I loved it. And I could see, if you go into even corporate settings, I could see that people would enjoy some time out, because it was quite therapeutic, because you had to, like, just think and not think so much, not concentrate so much, but look at the colours and how, how you're going to make it and put it together. And it's just quite a calming experience. So maybe. And also you get to chat around the table. It could be like, yeah, a team building experience too I'd say.
Kala
Yeah I've definitely been pushing it in terms of, I've had conversations with corporations, and last year I actually got the opportunity to take the wreath workshop into school, and that was the school in Hackney as well. And I'm from Hackney originally, and for me, that was definitely, it was just, it's just one of those things that made me so happy. I don't think everyone would always like understand the level of happiness I got from it because we talk about these people that we see that are gonna allow us to believe that we can do these things as well. And I think growing up maybe I didn't have enough of those people seeing them and thinking, Yeah, I can do that. Why wouldn't I? Why do I even have the end? Think such a sentence, it would just be like, well, these people are doing this job. Of course, I'm able to do that too. So yeah, for me, when I was asked, I was just like, even before we spoke about payment, I was just like, yeah!
Angela
No question. (You’ve gotta ask the payment bit though!)
Kala
It's so important that we do need to go into these spaces and let, and show ourselves like even if there's definitely days that I do not feel like I'm achieving, but I'm definitely gonna, if I can, I'm gonna show up, and I'm gonna show people that, and I'll be clear, I'm gonna show black girls from Hackney that they can achieve, and that's really important to me, actually.
Angela
Yeah, that's really nice. And also you gave back to (I know you got paid), but it's actually as we said, it's giving back to that community, and giving back to that school, and then the girls and boys, the children seeing you and know that they, definitely, that they could do it. And again, that's one of the reasons why I've started this podcast, because I love it, for people to hear it and say, Oh, actually, here's Kala X, we can hire her, and go into our school or corporation and and share your knowledge and share your creativity, because they are really creative. And I'm just saying that I have bought 2 of Kala’s cushions, so as well as the wreath making. I saw the cushions actually on the day, and I was like, Oh, my God, I don't need more cushions in my life, but I love these!
Kala
That's the, that's the vibe I'm always trying to push. Like people are like, I don't need this. I'm like, you do!
Angela
They were beautiful. They are beautiful.
Okay, so one of the questions I always ask people is, if they have a catalyst connection about how they got started in the business, I suppose for you would it be the lady from the Eye Newspaper?
Kala
The Media Eye? in terms of the business, she was definitely someone, her name is Lucy - she's definitely someone that, because she said that, I was like, Okay, let me just try. In terms of journalism, I feel like when I went to the 3am column, and I was helping on there, and one of the three, original 3am girls is called Eva Simpson, and she's a Beautiful black Ghanaian woman, and she's just no nonsense journalist, and she just, she always got the story. And for me, she was like, the person that was like, Okay, this is what I'm seeing. This is what we can do. And, yeah, I feel blessed that I was able to see such a person in action, because it showed that there's no reason why you can't do that and you don't belong in, in this space, which I think is very important in terms of like, for my children, I've always, even before I had kids, I was like, one thing I want my kids to feel or to know is that they belong. As in, there's no reason why they can't be in this space. It's a way of thinking. It's a way of thinking. Sometimes, some of the people I've worked with in my career were younger than me, we had the same sort of experience, but it was, you know, the way that they had been brought up, they were just brought up to believe that, why not? Why wouldn’t they be able to do this? And that's the sort of mentality that I would love every person to have. Because why not? Why not? Like we belong in any space that we choose to be in, really.
Angela
That's brilliant. Thank you. And that is really good. No, really good. Thank you. And I suppose it comes on to the future. What is the - I know you said you're doing the little workshops you want to do more of those. Is there anything else you'd like to add for the, what's next for you and where you want to go, and what would be your dream project be say?
Kala
I think for me, it's been able to have the business operate with, not without me, but in terms of for me not to be so hands on, like I'd love to go into wholesale, which, at the moment it would, it was still be in small quantities, because I make everything that I sell, apart from when I have, like, really big events, and I'll get someone to help me sew things. I make all the lamps. I make all the lamp shades.
Angela
It really is a labour of love, isn't it made, with love.
Kala
But then in my head, I'm like, how can the business grow if it's just me making the majority of the things? It doesn't like, the maths doesn't go together. So in the future, yeah, I'd like to see the business grow, and to operate a bit better without me being so hands on, because when I'm working on the business, my career as a journalist, I'm not doing as much. And I think I'm at the stage now where I would like to maybe go back to part time, or even full time work, but as in, within journalism. So I feel like, yeah, I would like more of a balance. I'd like to see the business grow and be able to operate without me being so hands on, and potentially I can see myself just focusing on the home decor and not doing the clothing, because I do love that aspect of it.
Angela
I love your clothes, though, too. So!
Kala
This is the thing. That's why I always, it never happens, because it's very, yeah, it's a hard one, but I feel like, because I didn't start it thinking, this is a business so I didn't start out being like, Okay, this is my business plan, and this is what I'm going to do. Everything has just happened organically. So I've always done, if you look at my range, there's just so many different things that I do. So I feel like I need to bring it in and just focus a bit more on one or two things.
Angela
Yeah, I think you need to contact some wholesalers and then you get them on board.
Kala
Yeah, that's the plan.
Angela
Brilliant.
So what would you tell your teenage self?
Kala
I think it would go back to like the spaces, just knowing that you have a place in the different spaces. I can't say, oh, don't worry, everything's gonna be okay, because my life, for sure, has not turned out the way I thought it would. So I think when I was younger, I thought I was gonna have some easy life, my kids were gonna be angels…
Angela
Surely not!
Kala
When they want to be, and they're not, like awful, but like, you have this idea of some picturesque life, and your career is just gonna you're gonna do whatever you want to do. So there are going to be challenges, but I think my nature, or if I'm talking to my teenage self, keep being yourself, and you will be able to equip yourself and have the people around you to support you, and in terms of your career or the things that you want to go for it, there's no reason why you shouldn't, even if you're the only person that looks like you in that room, you belong there.
Angela
Brilliant.
Kala
If you have the skills you have, you've done the same work as the person, probably male and white guy by your side, that's done exactly the same thing as you, but they have this attitude, because they're like, yeah, what, you need to do that as well.
Angela
You need to be that.
Kala
That is what I would say. You have to believe, like, truly believe that you belong in that space, and I think that will make the journey a bit easier. Yeah.
Angela
Thank you. That's great. Thank you. So, as I always like to end on my Quick Fire finding five questions, and you don't know what they are, but maybe you've listened to podcasts already, so you know! I need to change the questions up now!
So crisps or chocolate?
Kala
Chocolate
Angela
Beach or forest?
Kala
Oooh beach.
Angela
Haha no question!
Reggae or Soul?
Kala
Soul.
Angela
Patty or Sandwich?
Kala
Patty. Ahh. I would that's that's actually a really hard one. I would say Patty, but sometimes a good sandwich. I'm not a sandwich person in general, but there's some sandwiches that I would take over a patty.
Angela
We'll say both. Ah well thank you so much Kala for joining. I really appreciate it, and thanks for your time. And have a good day.
Kala
Thank you!
Outro
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