Today we’d like to introduce you to Keydra Oladapo.
Keydra, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
It all started when I was living overseas for six years in Sub-Saharan Africa in Mozambique and Lesotho. I found myself surrounded in a beautiful new country and culture but no time to enjoy between working full-time and a single mom. To say that I was stressed out, is putting it mildly. A wonderful South African friend of mine introduced me to the power of connecting with healing stones and crystals. I quickly saw a difference and started to surround myself with them – I put them everywhere such as in glass jars on display in my home and on my desk at work. I read everything that I could get my hands on and studied the healing properties of various stones. This is a personal practice so I started keeping stones with me relevant to the energy. After noticing the beautiful outcomes of my personal practice, I took the leap of faith to share my experience with others and support them on a similar quest of mindfulness. To that end, I have created a boutique line of personal energy care accessories promoting mindfulness and energy awareness lines. We serve clients worldwide but are headquarters are in Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The personal growth journey isn’t always straightforward and the road isn’t always easy by any means, but I am blessed to have a supportive network of family and friends. I could not be where I am today without them who believed in me, encouraged me and offered their shoulders for me to lean on when needed. After working abroad for six years, I moved back to the United States and the transition back to American life was not easy. It was time to come back and I needed a life change where I could refocus and reset my priorities as I saw fit for myself and my daughter. Balancing a full life of working outside of the home full-time, pursuing a doctoral degree, and being an active single mom can be challenging at times in itself. I’ve always been ambitious, but when you add entrepreneurship to the mix, if I don’t remain grounded and intentional, life can get overwhelming very quickly. Also, I know the plight of trying to support my family financially while balancing being present and spending quality time with my daughter. It’s a sacrifice and a personal decision, but has fueled my passion for working with mom entrepreneurs. Staying connected and working with moms, helps keep me motivated and makes every bump in the road well worth it. So how do I keep on despite obstacles? I make it a point to rejuvenate and stay grounded through a practice of self-care. There are many budget friendly and quick self-care routines available to us as women. We just have to decide what will serve us best. There are many messages out there to go “get a massage, get your hair done, paint your nails, put on some high heels, or buy a beautiful expensive handbag”. There’s nothing wrong with those options and if they serve you, then that’s fine but I’ve learned that material things and fleeting moments of pleasure don’t always sustain most women. My personal self-care routine that can stand the test of time, is one that is rooted in meditation and a practice of personal energy care.
Keep On Boutique – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I designed a line of personal energy care accessories called KO, which stands for Keep On. Being aware of our own energy and taking care of it is a personal and daily practice just like taking care of our hair or daily exercising. The line is available in online boutiques and offers an eclectic mix of carefully-curated crystal, gemstone, and lava beaded jewelry, in addition to a premier selection of bright and bold Kimono / Poncho / Ruana / Shawl accessories. Each accessory piece has a description of the personal care energy it brings, so you’ll always discover something unique and uncommon on every visit. Promoting good vibes only is one of our mottos. We are a boutique that only offers a few quantities of each item, so everything you find is personal and uniquely yours. Each piece is hand selected and each piece contributes to the well-being of the purchaser as well as to a network of moms. Our tag line is “every piece sold helps a single mom keep on” – to move forward with resilience despite challenges.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I am most proud that, Keep On Boutique is a company built on the ideas, efforts and the hands of three generations of women in my family – my mother, younger sister, daughter and myself. My sister and mother are the force behind our marketing and accounting work. My daughter is my co-designer offering her creativity is paring and jewelry arrangements. Also, I’m proud that Keep On Boutique supports donations of childcare, housekeeping, and virtual doula services to mom entrepreneurs. We do this through a partnership with minority women businesses. Single moms entrepreneurs need this type of support to keep on building their business, breaking the glass ceilings and creating workplaces and executive tables for other minority women. Encouraging a mom entrepreneur to recharge by giving her some time to take care of her personal energy is empowering!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.keeponboutique.com
- Email: keeponboutique@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keeponboutique/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keeponboutique
- Other: www.brattyandbossy.com
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