Today we’d like to introduce you to Wakako Takagi.
Hi Wakako, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I started our online shop, Baum-kuchen, in 2010 when our oldest daughter was born. It was a beautifully humble beginning in our garage, taking up just one shelf with slow growth and working on business whenever my daughter napped. In 2013, shortly after our second daughter was born, my partner Frido and I decided to open a physical studio/shop in Glassell Park, which aligned with our online presence.
After the first five years of juggling many hats alone, I decided to grow our team slowly. Today, we are a team of seven, and together, we lovingly take care of many aspects of our business, including online order fulfillment and designing our collection at our current studio/shop location in Altadena.
One of the ways we were able to get to where we are today is our ability to lean on creative problem-solving processes in and around the business. I have a design degree, and so does Frido, so we are comfortable coming up with new ideas, prototyping the designs (or systems), and working on continuous improvements instead of overnight single solutions. I believe in listening to my instincts and trusting the process, and this goes to everything from how we operate our business to how we curate the artifacts we share.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wouldn’t say that it has been a smooth road all along (will it ever?), but I would say that creating Baum-kuchen and working in this very special place has been the most rewarding experience I could ever ask for as my lifework. In this sense, I believe that the most challenging situations I encountered in the last 14 years have brought the most beautiful human-centric outcomes once I reached the other side of the situation.
Like most small businesses, COVID-19 was a major disrupter in our business in 2020. One day, our team members and I all left the studio, thinking we would be back the next day to ship more online orders, only to find ourselves needing to lock down at home. Since our business required physically handling and shipping products to our customers, someone needed to be at the studio to ship the incoming online orders to keep the business running. Still, I couldn’t have multiple team members working in the same confined space, let alone having anyone leave their homes. It was a chaotic and uncertain time. I remember, on the night of the lockdown, taking a moment to breathe and imagine what could be the possible way forward for our business to sustain (and survive) through the situation and coming up with the idea of turning everyone on the BK team into designers, including our shipping team so they could stay at home and create new designs for BK while I took care of all the online orders at the studio. It was out of the box; it was hard work, and it worked. We came up with so many new products during the lockdown thanks to our incredibly creative team without losing sight of business. The best part was that we all came out of the situation together as a team and that is something I am really proud of.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At Baum-kuchen, we specialize in stationery and lifestyle artifacts that bring meaning and long-lasting relationships. For example, we carry a range of items for the Traveler’s Notebook, which is a customizable and refillable notebook system. In addition to offering the Traveler’s Notebook’s core collection, we provide a specialized customization process uniquely designed by Baum-kuchen and notebooks designed and sold exclusively at Baum-kuchen. We enjoy watching each Traveler’s Notebook find its unique home and evolve through the journey that is co-created by the users.
When our community interacts with us, they can always be sure that there are real humans behind each engagement, whether it’s the BK unboxing experience, opening hours that feel more like a small oasis for like-minded analogue enthusiasts, or stories we share online.
My hopes and dreams for Baum-kuchen are to support our community in exploring their world through pausing, reflecting, and writing. I would love Baum-kuchen to be a trusted companion through their inner journey and everyday life.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
More and more stationery retailers are importing products from other parts of the world, such as Europe and Asia. So, it will continue to be difficult to differentiate one stationery retailer from another in this saturated market.
However, small businesses’ strength is to continue tuning into the authentic voice and telling our unique stories. I believe that stationery and lifestyle brands with strong points of view, ethos, and values that can walk the talk will create many avenues to connect and build meaningful relationships with their community. That feels really exciting to me!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.baum-kuchennet
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baumkuchenstudio/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@baum-kuchen9512
