Can happiness be brought? What is really the definition of happiness? All these questions popped in my head as I scrolled through Hooty Hoot store's beautiful Instagram feed. Her store is based on the concept of Hygge - translate loosely to cosy in Danish. I looked up and did a bit of research and realise that it was all to do with mental well being.
Curling up in a comfortable nook with a steam hot cup of chocolate and a nice book when the weather if icy cold can really bring happiness. That just sounds a lot like what the Danish people prescribe to be happiness. Most of the products that she sells - the Hooty hoot crate, Vintage Journals, Valentine day combos, all seem to focus on experiencing happiness in a aesthetic manner. Intrigued by her concept, I decided to have a little chat with her about her business, here is a snippet of our conversation.
Me : How did
this of concept of creating/curating a box based on Hygge come by? What or whowas
your inspiration to start this business?
Abitu : Year 2017, when I learned
about the concept of Hygge, it got me hooked to it. As a person with a bit of
OCD and seeks something comfy all time to read or watch, hygge sounded perfect
to me. Hygge is not only about comfort and relaxation. It changed my way of
living, making me more productive and positive. The 2017 Christmas season gave
me a perfect opportunity to start a business, focusing primarily on gifts. The fusion
of hygge and vintage products I ideated and created made my friends happy. I
wanted to bring smile and glow to more such faces, thus began my journey of
Hooty hoot.
Me : Investing time and
money into a business is not an easy decision, especially if you are a woman,
the society tends to treat us with kid gloves. Though that is a changing one
step at a time, there is a long way to go. Enlighten us on the trials and
tribulations you faced when you decided to get into this business.
Abitu : Investing money is
a big step, it took me almost six months to make my family to understand what
exactly I’m trying to do and how far I need help financially. There are few
things about this subscription box that is tricky. Many people are not aware of
how a subscription box works. Though there is an active and support Instagram community
which understands all this, there is a long way to go. We cannot be pros
overnight, every hurdle and every problem faced will help move forward.
Me: Your business is online predominantly. Do you do some
offline sales as well?
Abitu :No, there aren’t any offline sales yet
Me: The small business scenario in India – How would
you describe it from your experience, what are the procedures you had to follow
to bring your product out!
Abitu : Small or big if you have an innovative idea, you’ll be certainly noticed
by the crowd. It is important to be
clear about the idea, research this thoroughly and do a good deal of value addition
to it before indulging in sales.
Me: Pillars of support! Immaterial of gender, we
all need support to embark on a venture, who were yours?
Abitu: Without my two friends Indhumathi and Sara, Hooty hoot would have been
hiding in some notebook’s last page. The concept of Hygge was introduced to me by my friend Harish DV on his trip to Denmark. He sent me a photo explaining Hyygge and few more Hygge concepts followed all over Denmark. This literally was the a good twist in my life which change my way of thinking and living. All thanks to my dad, who believed in me every time and supports me mentally and financially through this start up.
Me: Pearls of wisdom for women aspiring to start their
own business.
Abitu: Whatever
makes your weird is probably your greatest asset, be weirdly creative and be
your own boss.
About Abirami Kumaraswamy :
Abirami
kumaraswamy (Fondly known as Abitu by
her friends) is 26 years old and lives
in Coimbatore. Given the count of engineers of India, well she is an engineer
too. She finished her M. Tech Computer
Science and Engineering and Worked with TCS. Scrap paper and Scissors was
always her hobby and passion. The hectic round the clock job was unsatisfactory
for this one awesome life, so she quit her job to start a small business.
Almost 2 years later and three notebooks of ideas Hooty hoot was born. Hooty
hoot is all about hygge, vintage and more. The love for Vintage, writing letters
and making postcards are things from her childhood, all thanks to her mother. Apart from hooty hoot and crafts she loves
reading has published a book titled MazhaisaaralumTheenerkoppaiyum (Tamil poetry).
The Japanese word Tsundoku, used to describe a person who owns a lot of unread
books suits her perfectly!
As I signed off my conversation with her, I realised that one really needn't put in effort to find happiness.
PS. Her journals are super cute, her valentine combo is real pretty. DM her on Insta, she is really active and responds with such enthusiasm!
