One of the best ways we can inspire actionable change is to lead by example. In fact, many of the women I've spoken with on the Slow Stories podcast are innately championing more thoughtful processes across the board. Nichole Powell of Kinfield is one of these game-changing businesswomen. And to celebrate the recent launch of Slow Stories Podcast season three, I'm thrilled to share an exclusive follow-up portion of my chat with Nichole here on the C&C blog.
To preface the below interview, Nichole is the Founder and CEO of Kinfield—a modern wellness brand that is creating great essentials for the great outdoors. With her previous professional endeavors (which include leading business development at Modern Citizen), Nichole has extensive experience in building memorable brands. In this episode, we spoke more about how Nichole is translating her industry knowledge into this exciting new chapter, the importance of creating (and living) with intention, and why taking a slower approach to content is essential.
Enjoy the full episode here and discover even more insights from Nichole below.
Why is it important to slow down as a digitally-minded founder? Can you share an instance of when slowing down inspired innovation at work?
“As a founder, I receive more digital notifications now than I ever have in my life—emails, text messages, Slack, app notifications. It can be overwhelming! If you spend your entire day responding to inbound notifications, then you never have an opportunity to reflect or create. My best ideas happen when I'm offline, so I try to build space into each day and week to allow myself the time to do that.
“Sometimes it's as small as taking a 20-minute walk around the block and intentionally leaving my phone behind, while other times, I'm able to get away for a day or a long weekend to hike and reset in nature. I always come back from those moments refreshed and re-energized, with plenty of new ideas.”
What would you say are the pillars of "slow" content?
“When creating, ask yourself is my content,
1. Genuine? The most interesting content comes from a genuine perspective—why do you want to share this message? Why now?
2. Unique? This is something we've considered carefully at Kinfield. Any number of brands or websites could give you content like ‘5 Great Places to Eat Dinner Outside in Brooklyn.’ We wanted to push ourselves as a team to develop our own unique voice and to be able to say something different and new.
3. Thoughtfully edited? Time is the most precious gift that someone can give you. If they're taking the time to read or take in what you've created, be respectful of that and edit thoughtfully. Give them the very best.”
In our podcast episode, you talked about making space for vulnerability in brand storytelling. What are your tips for fellow brand builders looking to do this in a way that makes sense for their community?
“Vulnerability can be intimidating, especially for new brands who might be worried about saying something different or even potentially controversial. But the best content comes from a genuine place, and that often involves some vulnerability. Take comfort in knowing that there will inevitably be missteps or times when you share something and immediately have doubts (I don't believe in regrets), but that the authentic community that gathers around that vulnerability and soulful storytelling will be well worth it.”
Do you have any parting words of wisdom that you would like to share regarding slowing down, creating enduring content strategies, or building a conscious business?
“Consider people first—your community, your team, yourself. An authentic connection happens when you take the time to slow down, have a meaningful conversation, listen carefully, and reflect thoughtfully. It is from there that a conscious community is created.”
About the Author
Rachel Schwartzmann is the Founder and CEO of The Style Line LLC. She created The Style Line in late January 2011 via Tumblr and has fostered The Style Line’s brand in its growth since then. Rachel has been featured in esteemed sources including Forbes, Refinery29, and MyDomaine and has also spoken at Create & Cultivate and Columbia University on establishing a unique brand point of view and entrepreneurship. On October 1, 2015, Rachel took The Style Line in a new direction as a boutique content company with the introduction of its slow content agency CONNECT(ED)ITORIAL.
