INTERVIEW: FEMALE FOUNDERS - KALUMI HEALTH - BEAUTYFOOD

Ka.lu.mi: (KAH-LUE-ME) is an amalgamation of the Greek word “kalon” which means ideal physical and moral beauty and the word “lumi” which means light.

These gorgeous beauties, with a glow from the inside out, are sharing their knowledge of everything it takes to pursue a passion, start a business, take action despite a full schedule, look fear in the eye, all while glowing from the inside out, with your best friend as your biz partner. These ladies, are super-babes + bosses. 

Kalumi  was founded because as models, they both saw a gap in what was offered on the shelves of even the healthiest of health food shops + havens. Being in the fashion industry, and knowing how important it is to stay healthy, from the inside out, they wanted to create something that not only served the purpose of  nourishment, and satiating hunger, but wanted to delve deeper, and provide a functional and holistic healing element to every single bite. The magical ingredient that they found to truly enhance, heal, and help repair and build skin, was Marine Collagen...

Nothing beats collagen when it comes to skin, and finding your glow. Nothing. It's something I sing it's praises for, day in, and out, and I know these girls agree. 

I'll let them take it from here, as they have so many golden nuggets to share, you will want to take notes! 

 

MIND

First of all, thank you so much for doing this interview with me!!!!!!!! Second before we dig in, tell us a little bit about yourself and why you felt compelled to start Kalumi Health?

We are best friends, models and health enthusiasts. we felt even health food stores were missing a product that included high-end ingredients that met our every expectation: excellent pure protein (without soy or dairy), low sugar, complex carbs and healthy fats and something that truly made you feel beautiful from the inside out.

What’s your vision + mission for your business and beyond? To provide anyone looking for optimal Health and lasting beauty with an array ofBEAUTYfood products.

How did you know you wanted to become entrepreneurs and start a business? When every time we hung out over our 6 year friendship, we realized we were always trying to create something awesome together- from girl rap band to protein bars- we knew we had something great to create together.

How do both stay motivated on a daily basis? Teamwork, nutritious foods and tonics and people’s excitement for our brand.

Are you always thinking about your business, career, releasing new content and growing? Yes! We dream constantly on what more we can do to better the company, our tasks in the company and what new lines we can add.

On that note, is this a 24/7 job and commitment? (I think this is what people are fearful of!) especially when they have a family, or are in a relationship that requires a lot of time and energy. Yes and no, we are always working on Kalumi.. Although we still manage to travel and shoot long hours for modeling jobs and balance a personal life as well. The true key is to work together in the most efficient way, help each other out when someone is having a super busy day or week and to work efficiently but fast!

Where do you find your inspiration to continually stay relevant and authentic to your vision? We are constantly researching, speaking to naturopaths, listening to our friends and other people's needs around us and studying how to combine our findings into something relevant, clean and beautiful.

I know so many entrepreneurs who have all these ideas and desire to start a business / release a product, start a website, etc... but they are fearful andhave no idea where to start! It can be overwhelming. How did you guys move past this and what obstacles arose from the process? We didn't really move past it, we just knew it was going to be tough but we dove in and pushed through and still do have to do that. Having a strong bond with your business partner really helps. When one is down and wants to give up it’s the other one's job to stay tough and bring the person up off the floor.

What would you tell someone in this place? Make a proactive plan, find out your possible and likely obstacles and create a plan of how you will deal with any negatives. Do your research in the field you're pursuing, reach out to other successful business owners- people are very willing to help! Are you ever really ready to go solo and become an entrepreneur? Or are the people who are actually doing and living it, simply taking action despite fear, financial constraints and obstacles? Because many people start off slow, but lose hope and steam as they aren’t seeing any results, feedback or gains. We do think there is a right time- when you discover something truly unique and great that people truly need. If you are super passionate about something and see a need for it in the world- it's time to pursue it. For most, there will always be fear and obstacles, it's recognizing them and not letting them stop you and coming up with ways to conquer them before they even happen.

Is there ever the right time to start? Yes- when you discover something truly unique and great.

Who are your biggest mentors / sources of inspiration? Early on we invested in attending a trade show that offered an education course on the food industry. We spent the week attending classes and milking every opportunity we could. We chatted to every speaker, spoke with some of the other attendees and wore outfits that stood out so people would ask us what we do. We met so many mentors that week! Howard Shultz and Jessica Alba are a couple of our sources of inspiration !

Favorite book on business? Honestly, we find so much value in speaking directly to actual business owners for advice on business. However, we gained a lot of insight on how to deal with people and sell a product through these reads : “How to win friends and influence people” and “Seducing Strangers.”

BODY

Top 5 Favorite Foods you eat daily? 1-BEAUTYfood! 2-avocado 3-Lemon 4-Brown rice- there are so many delish things you can do with it! 5-Sweet potato

Are there any foods that you try to stay away from? A lot! Foods containing Dairy, soy and gluten. We also avoid foods that are highly processed and contain GMO’s, additives and high sugar levels.

Top 3 favorite foods to indulge in? Matcha latte with coconut milk and organic french fries once in a while ;)

Favorite way to sweat? Circuit training, stair master, dance cardio, yoga.

I love skin and I'm fascinated with how people maintain their 'glow' (as are you!!) What are your Top 5 favorite skincare products or procedures (facials, treatments, etc.)? Honestly, the top 3 are marine collagen (seriously- at least 12g a day or 1 BEAUTYfood bar per day). Marine collagen not only give your skin a glow, it helps smooth and hydrate the skin as well as combats wrinkles and signs of aging. It’s an all in one!4- a natural highlighter for cheek bones and bridge of nose- We love RMS beauty! 5- Amazonian clay mask with apple cider vinegar 1-2 times per month

Non-negotiables when it comes to your self-care routine? 1- No chemicals in our shampoo and conditioner! Did you know it takes 26 secondsfor chemicals in your personal care products to enter your bloodstream? 2- Same goes for moisturizers- we like to stick with coconut oil and shea butter to moisturize. There are a lot of natural and super effective options these days! 3- No/ light and all-natural makeup on our days off. 4- Monitor foods we are putting in our bodies, we like to keep it as clean as possible 5-taking time out of the day for “me time”. Whether it be doing a workout or just turning off distractions and being in your own mind for a bit.

How do you practice glowing from the inside out? Eating right! Our company tagline is “glow from within”! and finding out your foodintolerances. We all have random foods we don't even know we are intolerant tothese can cause hormone imbalances, rashes, acne etc. When you eat right for your body, you feel lighter and happier and everything about you will glow.

SOUL

Favorite quote or affirmation? If you can solve your problem, than what is the need of worrying? If you cannot solve your problem, than what is the use of worrying? - Deli Lama. This one is amazing for when you’re feeling stressed!

How do you practice self-love? Taking the time to occasionally pat yourself on the back and appreciate your good qualities.

How do you find balance in your life, and how do you relax? Sometimes it’s hard to find balance. We are two people doing 5 people’s jobs ourselves. We find it really helps to plan out our days in advance. We have lists of tasks we need to accomplish and we list out what is achievable that day and what can wait.

What would you tell your younger self? Don’t sweat the small stuff!!

What is your true passion + purpose? Helping others be healthier and happier. We love educating people on wellness!

What do you do when you feel stuck or start to feel fear creeping in? (self-worth, uncertainty, financial, physical, all areas). Burn some sage, take some deep breaths and try to step out of the moment and look at the big picture. We find fear usually lives in that small moment and when you can step out of that moment of fear or doubt, things don’t actually look so bad!

If you could only give 3 pieces of advice to aspiring entrepreneurs + people who are stuck where they are, about life, love, business and living yourpassion – what would those be? 1- Always look at the big picture. Some days are super stressful and you want to give up, whether that be in business, love etc.. If it feels right, don’t give up. 2- Always listen to your gut 3- Try to keep a balanced lifestyle so that one aspect of your life doesn’t take over.

If you could wave a magic wand, what would it do?

Heal everyone in the world!

What is greatness to you?

Greatness to us is love, peace and health.

What are you most grateful for?

We are so grateful for each other, our mentors, the people around us and for healthy ingredients!

Thank you so much Chrissy and Jayla!

YOU’RE BOTH SUCH GEMS AND BEAUTIES FROM THE INSIDE AND OUT!

Lisa xx 

Original Post: https://www.lifebyleese.com/blog/blog/interviews/interview-female-founders-kalumi-health-beautyfood