On today’s show we chat to Kristina Karlsson, founder and former creative director of global Swedish design and stationery brand kikki.K - and recent founder of Dream Life.

At just 22 Kristina moved from her home in Sweden to Australia - a new country half a world away from family and friends. She had little money and no idea what to do with her life.

But amidst uncertainty, inspiration struck in the humble setting of her home office. Dissatisfied with the mundane stationery options available, “Kikki” - her childhood nickname - wanted something more exciting. She borrowed a few thousand dollars to produce sample stationery, then tested it on friends.

It was a bootstrapped venture, with a local manufacturer creating her products, which she drove around Melbourne delivering to retailers. Six years later, and when she couldn’t get finance to expand the venture, she convinced her partner to sell his house, and the funds went into the first kikki.K store in 2001.

Kikki.K would go on to become an Australian retail powerhouse, making them millions of dollars. At its peak, kikki.K had 120 retail stores and a presence in over 150 countries.

Kristina ran and operated kikki.K for over 20 years, but the chaos of 2020 meant the company went into administration two times in two years. After this tumultuous time, Kristina parted ways with kikki.K in what she describes as the saddest and most heart-breaking day of her life.

To Kristina, though, this was everything but the end of the journey.

–

Kristina is currently re-reading Robin Sharma’s The Wealth Money Can't Buy: The 8 Hidden Habits to Live Your Richest Life. Join Kristina’s bookclub Grow Club.

Shop all things Dream Life: https://www.thedreamlifestore.com/

–

New here? Welcome! Join us on this podcast where we chat about all things business, career, finance and entrepreneurship.

Listen closely, because every episode is so different and full of insight, you might just walk away with that one tool you needed to take that next step in YOUR journey.

–

Wanting more?

Find us on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn as @cleverwomenco

Chat to us, your co-hosts @galkrohn and @em.kaplan (can you tell we love a chat?)

Ask a question or pitch to come on the show by heading to our website: clevermediaco.com

–

And please don’t forget to support us!

If you liked what you heard, subscribe to our show & leave us a rating and review - we will love you for it <3

Thank you SO much for listening, we can’t wait to be in your ears again next week!

–

You’re listening to a Clever Media production. Clever Media acknowledges the traditional owners of the land and waters that this podcast is recorded on. We pay our deepest respects to elders past, present and emerging.

Sound Credit: Engines Ready by Yarin Primak