Her Story
About kudra
Kudra Mohammed is a fashion retail entrepreneur who launched her brand in Kenya in 2015, registering the company in 2016. She began with high-quality scarves and hijabs, establishing the first branded scarves line in the country and opening two stores there. Now based in St. Louis, Missouri, she manages US operations from home while overseeing Kenyan activities, focusing on runways, trunk shows, and events in St. Louis and Chicago. Previously, she served as manager for Omega in St. Louis. Mohammed also founded the Nizarre Foundation around 2016, with core pillars including water access via boreholes, education, youth mentorship, and cancer health awareness. Since 2018, the foundation has run annual Cancer Awareness Month events offering counseling, free mammograms, and donations to oncology causes. Her approach emphasizes honesty with clients, strong customer relationship management, and robust business systems. She draws on prior influencer marketing experience with brands like Lancome to pursue new opportunities in the US market.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with kudra
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received is to land the business like it's yours, whether employed or not. This means treating any role as if the business belongs to you, which helps execute at 100% and builds reputation. Another key advice was to land the CRM, focusing on customer relationship management from the start, remembering details about clients which makes them feel valued.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be intentional from the beginning, even with a small business. Take it seriously as a real business, not just a gig. Be very intentional in how you speak to clients and in branding and packaging to create a luxury perception. I wanted my packaging to look like Chanel and brought that luxury style into the Kenyan market, which helped people see the brand as serious right away.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges include marketing in the US market after 5 years, not fully cracking retail as planned and shifting to runways and events instead. Time difference with Kenya operations makes availability difficult at times. Importing larger numbers involves tax and shipping issues since items come from Kenya. Opportunities lie in influencer marketing for new bag launches and leveraging existing experience with brands like Lancome.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty with clients is key, offering truthful advice even if it means not making a sale, which built the brand through word of mouth. Gratitude is huge, especially after getting sick, learning to appreciate everything and what has been achieved. Systems are critical in business, as they kept the brand running when I couldn't manage day-to-day due to illness.
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