We had the good fortune of connecting with Kayla Brazile and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Kayla, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Hmm, this is a good one. I have a business called The Zen Lifestyle Company, LLC where I specialize in handcrafted self-care products such as soaps, candles, body scrubs, body butter, skincare, and more! So when I think about risks, I take into account that I am still a small business, so financial risks will take place often. Gratefully, I am still corporately employed which assists me in funding The Zen Lifestyle Company. I never think of risks as a negative because these are the same risks that will help me to elevate my business in the future. We are headed toward our second year of business in July of 2021! Building a foundation when you have a business takes a lot of risks, courage, and resiliency. I applaud all of the entrepreneurs out there big and small because this walk of life certainly is not for the weak-minded.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
At The Zen Lifestyle Company, we pride ourselves on great customer service and true quality all-natural products which separate us from others. This helps us gain return customers and new customers which we love! I am super excited about our summer collection that is launching soon. One of our many notable products is our hand-poured soy wax candles that double as a massage oil! A perfect 2-in-1 product essential for you and your home with our enticing scents and aesthetically pleasing packaging.
The Zen Lifestyle Company started off simply as natural remedies to cure my skin-related ailments such as eczema. I then decided to branch off to other handmade products that I believed would help myself and others. I loved essential oils and their benefits. This influenced me to incorporate essential oils into our products for mood-boosting results in addition to being effective products overall.
However, this was no easy feat. I struggled with the many directions I could have taken with The Zen Lifestyle Company.
In my undergraduate institution, when Zen was still just an idea in my head, I teetered with all of the possibilities. It had to make sense to me and somehow tie into what I was already doing. I finally narrowed it down to a few key concepts that I wanted to stick to. One of them being a hub for decompressing from our busy lives in the name of self-care. I truly keep my customers in mind with every product I’ve created and intend to create in the future! I have definitely learned as an entrepreneur that there will be good days and there will be bad days. Naturally one would think entrepreneurship is a linear success, but it is very much circular in that you cannot just skip steps to reach success. You must go through the process and enjoy it! It builds great character and makes you appreciate all of the work that was put in when you reach your goals.
The mission behind The Zen Lifestyle Company stemmed from my educational background. I graduated from Clark Atlanta University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. I am currently in a graduate program studying social work to bring awareness to mental health and social injustices. This has had a major influence on the angle I took with my business. Self-care is so important and we strive to help others make it a priority with our mood-enhancing products.
The Zen Lifestyle Company advocates for individuals who aspire to live a stress-free, poised lifestyle because sometimes life can be a bit taxing on our mental health. Often times we may write off self-care as just a relaxing face mask or a spa day when it is that and more! Self-care is taking the time to reflect on your mind, body, & spirit to produce a refined self-perspective. We offer products that aid clients in creating spaces that are conducive for self-care practices with our ZEN Body+ and Zen Home+ Collections!
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite place in Atlanta right now is the Optimist. They have so many great cocktail options and a great atmosphere. I have to stan the roasted oysters and the benight-style hushpuppies! I love museums and art, so we would take a trip to the High Arts Museum to explore and learn about artists old and new. The museum is always perfect for a nice photo-op too! The Shops at Buckhead is a nice place to shop some of our favorite brands and bask in the lap of luxury. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to thank all of my dear friends. They have supported me throughout the entire process of building Zen, some even before the launch in 2019. They have been the most encouraging when I needed it the most and super hands-on when I needed help with anything. They are my BETA testers, proofreaders, confidants, and my major support system and I couldn’t ask for a better circle of friends!
Website: https://zenlifestyleco.com/
Instagram: @thezenlifestylecompany
Image Credits
@aniska.xo @elijahdavis