SHAZ & KIKS Founders on Haircare and Running a Business With Your Sister
If haircare had fan clubs, I would be the president of SHAZ & KIKS’ — a new Ayurvedic-inspired beauty brand founded by two sisters, Shaz Rajashekar and Kiku Chaudhuri. Ever since hearing their story and connecting with their mission, I had been eagerly awaiting their “Back to your Roots” Scalp + Hair Prewash to arrive at my doorstep. A few days later, that day finally came, and I opened up the package. First of all: I was blown away by how beautiful the packaging was. When I tried the product for the first time, I fell in love with the entire ambiance. It smelled delicious, it felt so incredibly nourishing, and my hair feels stronger and healthier as a result. It felt like I had brought a spa to my own house! I was so excited to hear the story behind SHAZ & KIKS in this conversation with founders Shaz and Kiku.
Congratulations on the launch of SHAZ & KIKS! What was the inspiration that led to its creation?
Shaz & Kiku: Thank you! The root of our company and what we've created all go back to our Indian heritage and how we grew up with the wonderful women in our families taking care of each other through nourishing beauty rituals. We spent our childhood summers in India where we would experience our grandmother creating beautiful, handcrafted beauty products using the herbs from her garden and oils from her kitchen. We would then all sit around (grandmas, aunties, cousins) and massage these products into our hair, face, and body — these shared rituals were both nourishing to our outer bodies and our inner selves. It was all fresh and natural and inspired by Ayurvedic practices — these formulas have been passed down by generations of Indian women. So these Ayurvedic ingredients and formulas are at the core of our products. When it came to packaging, we really wanted to use that to create visual stories. We work with a wonderful designer and illustrator who used our outer packaging as a canvas to share our story and to bring our products to life.
We're also a family-run business, and know that there are joys — and challenges — that come from working with your family. How have you each navigated working with your sister, and do you have any practices for setting boundaries (for example, differentiating when it's sister-time versus work-time)?
Kiku: Since we've existed as sisters we've had like MAYBE 5 arguments (most of them are around me stealing her clothes when she was a teenager). When there are any differing opinions when it comes to the company, we both like to lean on reason and always try to be respectful towards one another. We visually and creatively are very aligned. We have designated time to work on SHAZ & KIKS and then we will make a conscious effort to close up for the day and have a glass of wine and not talk shop.
Shaz: Right now, it's just us two so we kind of do everything. There are things that we both work equally on like branding and packaging. And then there are certain parts of the business we each focus on where we have the strongest work experience in. For me it's distribution, operations, supply chain and for Kiku it's product development and digital operations — but we always consult with each other. In addition, I think that our personalities really balance each other out and are one of the greatest strengths of our partnership. Kiku's like the Tasmanian devil with her passion and energy whereas I'm more level-headed and measured. She's the Ernie to my Burt, the Grace to my Will, the Kirk to my Spock. But at the end of the day, we still have the same goals, drive, and execution focus —and that works for us!
It's more important than ever to take care of ourselves, especially emotionally and mentally. What are some of your favorite self-care practices that you turn to when you need a boost?
Kiku: For me, it's important to establish daily self-care practices so I regularly take care of myself. My mornings are designated for some self-love — I wake up early, work out, do meditation and breathing exercises, and then take a cold shower and get ready for the day. These morning practices help me get set up for however the day goes. Unwinding at the end is just as crucial too. I always talk to my mom on the phone and end up cuddling in our bed with my husband and my adorable French Bulldog. My husband and I do love face-masking together . . . all these really help me take care of myself on a daily basis!
Shaz: Cooking has always been one of my biggest passions since I was a kid. And I'm pretty good at it . . . if I say so myself! I love researching different cuisines, chefs and recipes and cooking with my daughters on a pretty regular basis. This is one of the ultimate ways I take care of myself . . . doesn't matter how tiring the day was, cooking dinner gives me so much joy. I've always been a book worm and I'm also a bit of an insomniac so some nights, I go through a whole book! Not great for my sleep pattern, but I love this alone time with just me and my book. On weekends, spending as much as I can with my family is a way for me to reset from the busy week — I go rowing every Saturday and Sunday morning with my husband and being out in the water is very meditative.
Lastly, starting and running a business requires you to constantly be tuned into creativity as a means to innovate and problem solve. Do you have any rituals that you use to enhance your creativity and tune into that sense of flow?
Kiku: I do love reading various industry newsletters and articles, listening to podcasts, to get inspired by what other amazing brands and companies are doing. We also have 30+ years of corporate experience between the two of us so we are pretty accustomed to solve all sorts of problems! Other than that, I keep different books on Ayurveda and Indian culture and history (I was a South Asian Studies major in undergrad so I have TONS of books on this) on my desk that I always thumb through when I take work breaks.
Shaz: Our mother is also a great source of inspo and info — when we go back home to visit our parents, we're always going through her saris (so many different beautiful textiles and designs!) and go through old family albums and talk about her childhood and how she grew up. We use all this to drive our creativity and how and what we want to share with SHAZ & KIKS. We try to be as authentic as possible, we feel like this really makes our brand unique and special.
~ Visit www.shazandkiks.com to learn more about this emerging brand and its amazing founders ~