We had the good fortune of connecting with Savannah Stephens and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Savannah, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started Kindred Paper in the Spring of 2020, in the height of the pandemic, during social unrest here in the US, as I was divorcing and becoming a single, potty-training, homeschooling mom to my two daughters within a week’s time as my then husband of 10 years left, and we were quarantined from work and school. In the eye of that chaotic storm came the most perfect clarity as my comfort zones were quickly removed from me: I won’t wait another minute to live my purpose and that is Kindred Paper. I have worked in business management for the past 8 years and while I was comfortable, I was also miserable because I knew that I was made for more. I had toyed around with making the invites for my children’s birthday parties and a few of my friend’s events as well. It was something that I just liked to do but didn’t take myself seriously enough to go with it. I am so glad that all changed. Through my personal growth journey, I gathered the conviction to lean into my passions. I started betting on myself. I took online courses in greeting card and graphic design. I enrolled in business courses to learn the basics. I decided to be a witness to myself, my daughters, and others that you can absolutely start “late,” start over, do things differently and succeed. With our household structure changing, I also knew that I needed to develop other sources of income to provide stability for my daughters and I and generate wealth for their future. As I began to grow, I also saw starting a business as a way to build revenue streams for others and contribute to the economy and create impact. This is my dream and the life I was meant to live for myself, and for others.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

With my background in psychology, I’ve studied the science of emotional contagion and I’m floored by the many stress-reducing and immune-boosting physical benefits of spreading love, kindness, appreciation, and joy for both the giver and receiver. I have seen this happen. Despite what I knew about emotional contagion, I had never observed its true power until recently. Traditionally, I had always been one to say, “I’ll figure this out” and I had a habit of keeping my emotions inside. As a Black woman, we are “supposed” to be strong all the time according to traditional stereotypes. I felt like a fraud. I didn’t feel as strong as I portrayed myself to be and I was incredibly lonely as I allowed myself to suffer in silence, not wanting to reveal myself as a “weaker” person who was actually not as okay as I made myself out to be. However, this all changed in 2020 when I started to talk about the feelings of anxiety I was going through with my family and friends and soon, we were having open dialogues about what we were all experiencing. It was puzzling how we could all feel so lonely “together.” Our loads then felt much lighter and I shed the need to appear strong. I realized there was power in vulnerability and likewise, my loved ones were encouraged to check in with each other a bit more carefully. I realized the power of emotional contagion is one that we should be intentional about. It was on this basis, that I started thinking about the importance of connection and intentionally sharing emotions. And it became clear that with everyone’s busy lives, sending a handwritten card is the perfect way to make a big impact with just a little effort. The simple and effective medium of greeting cards allows us to transform lives. Taking a few minutes to send a card is telling someone: “I see you. You matter.” It captures the power of emotional influence in a more meaningful and lasting way than text or email. The problem was, I would spend a lot of time looking for cards that were a true reflection of me and my friends and family. Mainstream cards didn’t see us. Cards aimed at diversity come off as one note. What sets Kindred apart is that we make authentic expressions that are relatable and heart warming.

I’m super proud of my wins so far, like growing to around 15 retail locations, winning a pitch competition from major funders through Our Village United, and participating in pop ups at H&M through Buy From A Black Woman. But it has not been easy. Trying to balance maintaining full-time employment (I am currently working on an exit strategy), being a single mom, and running a business is no easy feat. Shout out to all my competing priorities, lol! But, for me, the key to overcoming that challenge start with mindset. On days, when I feel overwhelmed, I have to remember that there is no lack and that I’m right where I am supposed to be. That frees me from stress and allows me to be consistent and focused and aligned with my core values instead of stressing further and attaching to anything shiny. By leaning into my values, alignment happens. And when alignment happens, magical things tend to occur.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Great question! I would give my bestie a taste of both Old & New Atlanta. We would start off doing art things at the Hammonds House Museum in the West End followed by a vegan soul food lunch at Soul Vegetarian. After that, we might need a nap and we wake up, we’re headed to Bar Vegan (yes, more vegan food) for cocktails at Ponce City Market then sweating our hair out at MJQ (if it’s Friday night!). Saturday is brunch at Twisted Soul Cookhouse or Barney’s. We can walk or bike it off on the Beltline and margarita me please at Bar Mercado and do some shopping in the area at Bombchel Factory and the Village Market at Ponce City Market and Bleu Hanger in Decatur. And while we’re on our spree, we are also heading to Merge Co. at Phipps, they have the best in luxury Black brands and Village Supply in Buckhead Retail Village who carries brands by women of color. One thing I’ve been wanting to try is going to an Atlanta United Game. I think that could be fun!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
HUGE shoutout to my family, my parents and siblings, who continue to be my biggest supporters. They are part of why I was brave enough to start Kindred. They were like “Go go go! you can do it!” Shout out my daughters! Ila,9, and Saida, 3, are my biggest reasons. I tell them every day that they can do, have, and be anything they want in life. But as James Baldwin says ““Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” I know that I have a responsibility to live out my dreams so that they know they can achieve theirs too.
Big shoutout to Our Village United’s ELEVATE program. This is an amazing business incubator program that connects business owners with executives from Target and CEOs of million dollar companies to learn how to start thinking and acting like a CEO. The mindset shift is the key to the behaviors that lead to success. Not only do they give you precise information, but they also care about the whole CEO with a wellness component, which I still incorporate in my daily living after graduating from the program. And shoutout to them coming with capital too! Because not only is there a knowledge gap among Black business owners, but there’s also a major capital gap. Shoutout for to Our Village United for seeing that and doing something about it! Because of this funding, I was able to scale and increase my profit margin.
Big, big shout out to the Buy From A Black Woman organization and directory. If you are a Black Woman owned business, join! There are so many resources available to you by being a member and big opportunities too. By being a member, I was selected to participate in the Black Woman Inspire Tour in partnership with H&M. With the tour, I was able to have Kindred’s cards in H&M store pop ups in Atlanta, Chicago, and more coming up. This organization makes sure Black Women business owners are seen.

Website: www.ourkindredpaper.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kindredpapr/

Facebook: www.fb.com/kindredpapr

Image Credits
SR Creative Imaging Studios (https://www.srcreativeimagingstudios.com/) – personal photo Yo Yo Creative (https://www.yoyo-creative.com/) – product photos

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