Meet Kaajal Agnani of Boundless Blooms in West LA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaajal Agnani.

Kaajal, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in Northern California and moved to Los Angeles eight years ago to get married and start business school (where I also studied mindfulness). After working in tech for several years, I launched my company to create tools that cultivate confidence, compassion, and resilience in kids. I’ve created mindfulness for kids products based on my personal and parenting experiences, all with the help of my son Zavi.

Each shift in my career journey has been influenced by my passions, values, and my why. I’ve noticed that every couple of years I go through this process of reflection and that’s allowed me to hold research positions at university labs and pharmaceutical companies, work with small business entrepreneurs in the Philippines, run a restaurant group, and even work at tech companies where I’ve led operations, marketing, and customer experience teams.

I come from an entrepreneurial family and have always known that I’d want to start a business of my own. In the summer of 2018, I began to brainstorm what that would look like for me. As a relatively new mom, I realized that I could combine my experiences and passions to create a company that offers fun and interactive tools to cultivate positive skills in the next generation.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The entrepreneurial journey is seldom a smooth road, however, in my mind, challenges present opportunities that can be learned from and the journey is incredibly fulfilling. Soon after I launched my first product at the end of last year, I ran into inventory issues with manufacturers pausing operations and had to limit marketing/sales efforts. With little to no revenue being generated for a period of time, things were at a bit of a standstill until I received my shipment from the manufacturer in the Spring. The COVID-19 pandemic of course has impacted businesses and manufacturers across the globe, which presents its own challenges from a new product development perspective as well. As a small business owner, building a business requires a strong work ethic and an ability to create products / a brand that breakthrough and truly resonate with customers. I’m extremely grateful to have received overwhelmingly positive testimonials from customers as well as mindfulness authors and experts for my products. My current focus is on growing my customer base and building brand awareness.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Boundless Blooms is an educational and development company that creates fun and interactive products for kids and families. Our first two products introduce mindfulness to kids in a playful way and create space for device-free connection that supports social-emotional learning.

I’m especially proud that our products are written and illustrated by women of color (and the book features diverse characters). As we know, POC are underrepresented on bookshelves so creating a diverse kids book was incredibly important to me.

My company is still fairly young, but I’ve noticed how being really thoughtful about how customers engage with my brand and products creates a delightful experience that makes customers want to share. And word of mouth is incredibly important when you’re trying to build trust in your brand, especially when it comes to kids products. I’d also say that by developing relationships with customers, I’ve been able to get really great feedback and learn more about how customers use my products. For example, a health care practitioner reached out to share how she uses the Mindful Moments card deck with adult psych patients – it’s a use case I had never even thought about!

One of my absolute favorite things about being an entrepreneur has been the connections I’ve developed with people and communities across the globe. I come from an entrepreneurial family and contribution to society has always been something we value greatly. So naturally, when I began developing my business plan 2+ years ago, I knew that making a positive difference in this world with whatever I created would be core to my company. Before I even had my products in hand, I began partnering with non-profit organizations to introduce mindfulness to kids in lower income and underserved communities – because every child deserves to have access to these developmental tools. It’s been incredible to expand these partnerships and support non-profits and schools with mindfulness tools and resources, particularly during this challenging time with the COVID-19 pandemic.

When it comes down to it, I’m looking to create and spread goodness in this world. I want to create beautiful, conscious, and meaningful products that positively influence the next generation. And I work each day to build my business in a way that uplifts and inspires people.

What were you like growing up?
I was a very mindful child. A true introvert back then, I enjoyed spending time in nature because it helped me feel grounded and connected in a world where I felt different from most kids my age. As a super sensitive kid, I didn’t quite know how to work through my big feelings when they came up. One thing was for certain – I found comfort in being surrounded by nature. I have fond memories of time spent in my garden, playing in the dirt, watching ladybugs and snails in the strawberry patch, and listening to the sweet chirping of birds. In those moments, I found a sense of stillness and calm. The serenity within and the connection I felt to the world around me never felt stronger.

As adolescence hit, I struggled with anxiety and depression; however, I didn’t have the vocabulary to express what I was feeling, nor was I able to move past the shame I felt for having those feelings. Not to mention the taboo nature of these topics at the time – I simply didn’t have a way of asking for help. Thinking back to my darkest moments as a child is tough and I’m grateful to know now there are many tools available to support mental and emotional wellbeing, including the ones I’ve created.

In my twenties, I discovered yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and therapy, all of which have had a profound impact on my cope with stress and anxiety. Today, I’m proud to be able to openly engage in conversations around mental health and support kids as they navigate and develop their own mental hygiene.

Pricing:

• Mindful Moments: Mindfulness Activity and Affirmation Cards – $30
• Good Morning, Good Morning Book (Mindfulness Primer) – $12
• Mindfulness for Kids Bundle – $40

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.boundlessblooms.world/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloomkindfully/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BloomKindfully/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BKindfully

Image Credit:
Karishma Laungani: https://www.instagram.com/kdlaungani/

 

 

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