Tote-ally grateful!

On the way to attend Nairobi Design Week, a conversation with a friend of mine was sparked in relation to supporting Kenyan brands. I briefly shared a great experience I had with a lovely ring I bought from a Kenyan brand years ago, and when I asked whether my friend owned any Kenyan made items, I was humorously caught off guard when they immediately said yes, and mentioned our TKKDC totebag that they had just purchased! I had never viewed our brand in this light and it felt so good to be considered so highly. Our TKKDC Totebags, a Kenyan brand. Wow!

In 2022, I had the idea to design merchandise for The Kena Kona. I designed a couple of tshirts with some of the catchy phrases from our blog posts and used myself as a test to scout for potential interest from fellow dancer friends. I got some interest, but I didn't feel motivated enough to keep going that direction. In 2023, the idea of totebags caught my attention. I had a strong feeling that the totes would be a great fit for us, and so I took it and ran with it. I went from supplier to supplier looking for one that felt aligned with the vision, and once I finally settled on one, I took a chance on the TKKDC brand and made our first huge order. The year is now 2025 and I am proud to share that we have officially sold over 60 TKKDC totes. What an achievement!

At the beginning of this journey, I remember feeling afraid that I would invest so much time and money in our merchandise only to end up keeping a good amount of it. I was uncertain that people would be interested enough in our products to buy, wear, or carry them. When we had just 1 totebag left, I recall advertising it for what seemed like an embarrassingly long time, that I considered buying it myself, if the worst came to the worst. My brother and I laughed at the awkwardness of this situation and I prayed that God would see me through this last one, too. I am so grateful for each and every one of you dancer friends that supported us by getting yourselves a tote or two, for each Afro Latin festival and event that gave us the space and opportunity to showcase, for the suppliers that helped bring our vision to life, and for the journey that has shown us that there is value in what we bring to the table. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Keep creating & sharing!

~ your dancer friend