Nyaboke Omara is in her mid-30s. She is the founder and owner of Mon Palais Chic by K, a physical store and online business that deals with interior décor products and consultation services.
Mon Palais Chic by K is a French name. It loosely translates to My classy palace by K. K is my only daughter among my three kids. I started my business out of passion for interior décor. I love beautifying my spaces and trying new inspirations just to see how beauty aligns with geometry. It was a hobby that became almost obsessive. I was always changing my house setup; surely, one house could not handle all the pressure. I had to channel the energy to a business because the ideas were too many.
I assumed that I had a ready market when I started. But I slowly realised I needed to be serious with marketing because my friends and family could only buy one type of product or consult once. If I was to do any meaningful business, I had to talk to strangers. I had to open my business to the world.
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I am not an early morning person. I find inspiration when the rest of the world is asleep. I review my customers’ orders at night, find new ideas for renovation, then write a schedule for the next day’s deliveries. I get to my workplace at around 10am, where I provide instructions for deliveries and get feedback from customers. Feedback to me is paramount. After, I interact with my employees. I then take a break at lunch and return at around 6.30pm. I close at around 8pm. We record our peak in sales when people are heading home at around these hours.
I have had some interesting moments in my line of work. Sometime back, a client walked in my interior outlet. She was amazed by everything she saw. She had taste; she knew where to fit everything. But she didn’t have money to buy. She told me she would be back one day when she could afford to buy. Every time I brought in new stock, she would pass by. Her love for décor moved me. One day, I woke up and just decided to beautify her home even though she didn’t have the resources to pay me. I found the experience not only inspiring, but also fulfilling. Shortly after, I got a huge project to decorate an expatriate’s house from a stranger who saw my work online. I exceeded their expectations. They sent in referrers. This taught me that what we do for ourselves dies with us, but what we do for others remains immortal. If you get a chance to prove yourself, do it like it is the last chance you will ever get.
I unwind by watching movies or a television series. Mostly in my free time, though, I have no specific thing that I pursue. It usually depends on my mood. Over the next five years, I would like to build a learning facility for home décor services. I have chosen to avoid a pity party. I want to be honored in a party instead.
This story was first published in the Saturday Magazine edition of Saturday, 25th April. Saturday Magazine is a product of Nation Media Group. More info email: [email protected]
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